Legend of Korra - Mark of the Moon
by RealDone Universe
Summary: [Post Season 4] After spending a year in the Spirit World, Korra returns to Republic City where the Four Nations are preparing to sign a treaty after Kuvira's defeat. The Summit is interrupted by a terrorist group with ties to Dark Spirits and Korra, Mako, Bolin, Asami and Iroh II team up to stop them before they start another Great War.
1. The Life Left Behind

BREATHING DEEPLY, Korra shut her eyes as she assumed the lotus position, the forest she sat in fading out of her mind. She shifted herself as she got comfortable, moving the grass that spread across a footpath lined by large intertwining trees that seemingly touched the twilight sky.

Several creatures scampered around, some on the ground as others soared through the leaves and trees. Assuming unnatural shapes and varying in size, the spirits roamed the forest, some of which sat near her and watched in curiosity.

She opened her eyes slowly, her breath shallow as she trailed them around and looked onward; a frown etching on her face. A red line moved from the edge of the horizon at an immensely slow pace, touching trees in its wake and going right through them without deviating its straight path.

Breathing out, she huffed looking around as the creatures drew closer. Rising stiffly, she dusted herself off and picked up her satchel, moving away from the area; heading for a cliff. Reaching its edge, she looked onward, seeing a massive swamp with several vines and crystalline pools littered around outstretching as far as the eye could see.

She leapt off, whirling her hand at her side and gathered air to glide her to the swamp below, landing quietly near a tree. With apprehensive eyes, she trod on, sneaking behind a tree that she pressed her back against as she surveyed the area. Seeing nothing, she stepped out when she saw a figure and went back to take cover.

Clicking noises approached her, hitching her breath as they drew closer and amplified a low shuffling sound. Taking a deep breath, she leaned against the bark and assumed a deadpanned expression, looking straightforward as a creature moved past her. The beast, a large, crustacean creature with a lobster-like build walked onward; its dark shell nearly camouflaging with the tree she hid behind. Sighing, she quickly dashed off; glancing twice to be sure she wasn't spotted.

Leaping over a pond, she stood on a small island, breathing heavily as she leaned against a tree and heard an old man give a hearty chuckle. "It's not funny." She growled.

"You still haven't known how to deal with him, have you?" Iroh turned to her.

"I don't know why you still like staying around here." She walked around the tree, seeing him seated against it and sat before him.

"This place is quite quaint. I'm used to dealing with him; I assumed you would after all this time."

"Well, some things just don't work for me." She rubbed the back of her head.

"I guess so." He laughed.

Leaning back, she frowned and looked up at him. "It's still coming."

"Well, it was expected; it's been like that for a while."

"And you still have nothing?"

"Unfortunately." He shook his head.

"I'll have to try and close the Spirit Portal again."

"Korra, you have done this several times since you came here –,"

"Because I've got no other choice; if I leave it open, whatever that energy I've been feeling is will end up in Republic City."

"I'm not trying to say that you shouldn't close the portal. What I am saying is that you should've been able to already." His brows stitched.

"What does that mean?"

"Something is holding you back; you're conflicted." Worry exuded in his expression.

"Well, closing the Spirit Portals isn't an easy decision to make. Sure, it's what allowed Vatuu to return and wreak havoc, but if they were closed, the Air Nation would never have returned. If I do this, I don't think I'll be able to come here for guidance anymore."

"You're the Avatar, Korra; the bridge between the Spirit World and the Physical World. Whether the portals are open or not, you will be able to cross worlds. But, this is a decision you need to make and you need to be sure which path you're going to take."

"Yeah, I know." She huffed. "Thanks, Iroh."

"I'll always be here to help if you need me."

"I appreciate it."

"Say 'hello' to Tenzin and the others for me." He smiled at her.

"I will."

She smiled at him and stood up, looking around as she took her leave. Traversing the valleys, she left the swamp and moved to the centre of the realm, seeing a beam of light rising to the sky; spirals of energy swirling within. Turning to the forest behind her, she frowned determinedly and stepped through it.

* * *

BRIGHT LIGHT gave way for rocks and vines as Korra stepped through the portal, taking a deep breath as her eyes roamed around. Several buildings stood tall around the area, the street built around the crater which stood as an island in the middle of a road. Turning to the gateway, her eyes glowed brightly and she placed her hand on the energy.

Electricity surged out of the portal and repelled her, hurling her aside. Scrambling to her feet, she frowned as the gateway stabilized. She looked at her hand and jerked back in surprise, seeing red energy exude from it slowly; the burns once sustained disappearing slowly.

"What the ...?"

She looked at the portal and frowned turning as she saw people whisper amongst themselves and watch her in awe. Clenching her fists, she launched into the air with bursts of fire propelling her at the soles of her feet. Landing on a rooftop nearby, she looked around the city, seeing its new and expanded streets.

She smiled when she turned to her left, seeing a large spirit vine stretch across a road nearby. She sighed and trailed her eyes to the City Hall in the distance whose roof peaked over some buildings and saw the Future Industries skyline nearby. Running toward another building, she shot toward a building, using fire to boost herself forward.

* * *

COCKING HER neck, Korra glanced around as she approached the steps of the council building. She entered the lobby and headed over to the receptionist, looking around in apprehension as people roamed the concourse. The elderly woman turned to her, lowering her glasses condescendingly.

"Can I help you?"

"Excuse me, I'm looking for Councilman Tenzin, is he here?"

"He's a bit busy right now." The lady frowned.

"You know when he's gonna be free?"

"I dunno, it could be hours, but I don't give a damn." The woman sat back.

Korra huffed as the hefty woman turned to her typewriter and ignored her, taking a scope of the room as people moved past her. Looking to her left, she saw Tenzin and a small, brunette-haired black woman clad in a red suit near an elevator and walked up to them. The man shook his head at his assistant's joke when he turned to Korra, jerking back in shock.

"Korra?"

"Hey, Tenzin." She smiled slightly.

"Wh-where've you been? It's been a year, I –,"

"Hi, I'm Leigh." Tenzin's aide forcefully shook her hand then cocked her neck. "Korra? Hmm, that sounds familiar."

"Yeah, I'm the Avatar."

"Whoa, Avatar Korra? I'm just kidding, I know who you are." Leigh chuckled and shook her hand excitedly. "I'm Leigh, it's such an honour to meet you!"

"Korra, where've you been? What happened to you? Are you alright?" Worry showed on Tenzin's face.

"I'm fine; I just needed your help with something."

"Um, Leigh, meet me outside."

"Yes, sir." Leigh nodded and headed for the door.

"Korra, where've you been? It's been a year." Tenzin's brows stitched.

"I've been in the Spirit World."

"Where? People have been going in and out of there and nobody's sighted you there. Do you know how worried your family was? You just left right in the middle of Varrick's wedding reception. The least you could do was tell someone you had gone." He frowned.

"I'm sorry, Tenzin, but you have to listen to me; I need your help with closing the Spirit Portal." Korra frowned.

"Why?"

"There's an energy I've sensed rising for the past year now and I need to stop it from entering the Physical World."

"Why can't you close the portal yourself?"

"I've tried but something's blocking me. Iroh told me it's because I was conflicted about it before and I'm determined now, but I still can't."

"Well, I'm afraid I can't help you, Korra; Jinora's better suited for such a task than I am."

"Then where is she?"

"In the Western Air Temple; she's a Spiritual Guru teaching upcoming Airbenders." Tenzin crossed his arms.

"Great." Korra huffed. "Is there a way you can take me there?"

"I can't do that either, the council's very busy at the moment with the treaty signing coming up soon."

"What's that?"

"The Fire, Earth and Water Nation representatives will be coming to Republic City in a couple days to sign a treaty to join military forces since Kuvira's uprising."

"Seems a lot's been going on since I've been gone. Well, thanks anyway." She headed for the door. "I'll just go to the temple myself."

"Korra, slow down." He held her shoulder. "Whatever it is, it can wait. You've been gone for a long time now, at least say 'hi' to your friends again; I'm sure they've missed you."

She sifted her mind. "Okay. I'll leave for the temple tomorrow."

"Excellent, they'll be quite pleased to see you again." He walked on with her.

"Well, I miss 'em too." Korra smiled. "Iroh says 'hi'."

* * *

KORRA'S EYES roamed the foyer, taking in the lavish, shimmering floors and art-covered walls as she moved across the expanse. Looking around, she stopped as she saw Bolin, Mako and Asami happily approach her, entering their warm, welcoming embrace.

"Oh, Korra, I can't believe how long it's been!" Asami hugged her again.

"How're things going in the Spirit World?" Bolin grinned.

"Same as always." Korra shrugged. "Iroh says 'hi'."

"Korra, it's great to see that you're okay; you had us so worried." Mako placed a hand on her shoulder

"Thanks, Mako." She smiled at him.

"Yeah, how's about calling us next time, huh? The Spirit World's got bad reception or something?" Bolin feigned anger.

"There's a lot we've gotta talk about." Asami led her down the foyer. "Things have really changed since you left."

"Yeah, the city's gotten a little bigger." Korra pocketed her hands.

"Oh, that's not even the half of it."

"Yeah, I got a job as a lieutenant in United Forces." Bolin grinned.

"Whoa, congratulations. How're you fairing out under General Iroh?" Korra turned to him.

"Well, it's a little tough on me, but Pabu here's really getting into shape." The fire ferret climbed onto Bolin's shoulder.

"Guess he'd do well with the eagle shepherds, huh?"

"He's got a lot up his sleeve." Bolin petted Pabu.

"Come on, Korra, you must be tired." Asami opened twin doors leading to a hallway. "Let's get you freshened up and get you up to speed on what's going on in the city."

"Yeah, I sure could use a break." Korra stretched.

* * *

KORRA CHUCKLED as Bolin sat back and grinned, making Mako shake his head in disapproval and Asami frown in confusion. Having finished her food, Korra sipped her water and looked across the table, distancing her mind from her concerns in the Spirit World.

"Well, representatives from the Water Nation, Fire Nation and Earth Republic will be arriving in the city today for the Armed Forces Alliance." Asami wiped her mouth with a napkin.

"Well, Tenzin already filled me in. When's it happening anyway?" Korra rested her chin on a cupped hand.

"In a couple a' days. I'm so psyched." Bolin grinned.

"Well, I dunno if I can attend cuz I needed to head to the Western Air Temple to see Jinora so she can help me close off the Spirit Portals."

"Why? Didn't you want people to be able to cross worlds freely?" Asami's brow curved.

"Yes, but I've been sensing some powerful energy rising and I wanna stop it before it enters the Physical World." Korra frowned. "I tried closing it before I came here, but it repelled me."

"Is it Vatuu?" Mako's brows stitched.

"I can't tell, but I don't wanna wait around to find out."

"How long have you been feeling it?" Asami interlocked her fingers before her.

"For about a year." Korra turned to her. "It's very faint and it hasn't changed that much, but I know it's powerful; maybe even more powerful than Vatuu."

"Stronger than Vatuu?" Bolin jerked back.

"Is that even possible?" Mako frowned.

"I don't know." Korra shook her head. "It frightens me that something like that could exist, but I know what I felt."

"Well, you should probably get going then." Asami huffed.

"But, you can stick around for at least a week, right? The signing's gonna be done by then since they've been discussing for months." Bolin sat back. "Right, Pabu." The ferret nodded.

"Bolin has a point; it'd be good to have the Avatar show her support." Asami turned to Korra.

"I dunno." Korra sighed.

"C'mon, Korra, it's been a whole year since anyone's seen you. The people need to know you're still around." Mako smiled in assurance.

Korra glanced at him and shrugged. "Okay, I'll stick around for the signing."

"Alright! Team Avatar's back in action!" Bolin shot his fist up.

Korra sat back and smiled. "I missed you guys."

* * *

CUTTING THE line, Mako placed the receiver down and rubbed the bridge of his nose, sitting back as his eyes trailed his desk cluttered with towering piles of papers and office equipment. Looking around the room, he sighed as he sipped his cup of coffee when a knock came at the door, startling him a little.

"Come in." He put his cup down.

"Hey, Mako." Korra entered the room.

"Korra, what're you doing here?" He raised his brow.

"Just lookin' for something to do before the representatives arrive." She sat at his desk. "Bolin's busy working on the security detail for the signing; Asami's at work and Tenzin's busy with the council. His family's over in the Western Air Temple, so I had nothing to do."

"Kinda sad that Fire Lord Izumi won't allow Republic City police around any of her representatives' convoys." He huffed then chuckled. "Asami's finally busy with something? Kinda seemed like Varrick put Future Industries on auto-pilot."

"Good thing too cuz she complained about being unable to tag along with me to go to the Spirit World for a vacation cuz she was busy."

"She didn't hear you talk about the energy you sensed?" His brow curved.

"She's persistent, but I'm making it a point not to go there. Anyway, you're last on the list, so what you got in store for me?" She sat back.

"I dunno, you __did__ ask everyone else first." He feigned anger.

"I could've listened to the Blues on the radio all day, but I figured I'd hear the real thing." She chuckled. "Wait, don't tell me you're busy too cuz I've had to get a bunch a' mopeds with Naga being back home."

"Luckily, I don't have much to do; just receiving calls of small time stuff like break-ins I'm delegating to other officers. Things aren't the same since you left."

"So, you've got nothing? I wanted to try and get back into the field. Kinda getting into the vibe of helping out since I went AWOL."

"Sorry, you lucked out this time." He shrugged.

"C'mon, there has to be something. Robberies, Triads – anything?"

"Hmm, well, there's the mystery on the disappearance of the Equalists." He stroked his chin.

"What do you mean?"

"Since Kuvira's uprising, the Equalists have been carrying out strategic attacks to signal their return, but when you left, the attacks suddenly stopped."

"They were attacking since then? Why didn't anyone tell me?" She frowned.

"They were pretty small time at first, nothing consequential, but they got bolder and began attacking precincts, stealing police weaponry. We intended to bring you in on the attacks after Varrick's wedding, but then you went and they up and stopped all together."

"Well, thank God they didn't continue when I left." She rubbed the back of her head. "Sorry about that."

"I understand; you needed time to pick yourself up – Zaheer really did a number on you."

"... Yeah." She huffed. "But, why would they stop after I'd left? Wouldn't that be the best time since their biggest obstacle was outta the picture?"

"That's what concerned us, so Ling and I led an investigation to track them down. We supposed they were planning for a large attack, but we never found 'em. The case was closed about three months ago and the files were declassified. I decided to keep 'em in case something else came up, but nothing's happened still." He sipped his coffee.

"Can I have a look at them?"

"Don't worry, you don't need to." He placed his cup down. "The Equalists have been gone for a long time, so they must've packed up and quit. I mean, Amon's not here anymore, so they must've been lost without him."

"But, that's the reason why I wanna look into it. Think about it, Amon was the soul of the Equalists and without him; they'd just be a bunch of hired guns for the Triads. With him gone, they'd be hopeless, but it didn't stop them from continuing their attacks, which means they found someone else to lead them."

He frowned. "I thought of that, but I don't see any reason to continue investigating. We had an intensive search for nine long months with our best detectives, but we found nothing. We were running out of resources, we ran outta leads –,"

"But you didn't have the Avatar with you." She smirked.

"I don't think this is a good idea, Korra." He shook his head. "The Equalists are gone."

"Then let's make sure they don't think of resurrecting again." She frowned. "They did it once after they lost their purpose, so we'll stop them before they try again."

"Like the Prequels?"

"Luckily The Force Awakens washed my eyes, so I won't have to remember that crap." She rose from her seat.

"Mui, mui, I love you." Mako teased.

"Oh God, I hate that guy." She groaned.

He chuckled then stroked his chin. "Wait, how do you know that movie anyway?"

"Ask the guy who's writing this." She shrugged.

* * *

UNLOCKING THE door, Mako flipped the light switch and entered a small foyer, followed by Korra as he fastened the latch. Draping both their coats on a hanger nearby, he tailed her as she walked into a corridor and turned into the living room to her left.

"Nice place." She looked around, taking in the small radio to her left atop a bookshelf that lined a wall and four chairs set around a brown carpet and coffee table.

"Nah, it's nothing." He placed his bag on the dining table across from the living room. "Cup of coffee?"

"Bourbon." She took a seat.

"Are Avatars supposed to drink?" He moved up to a fridge.

"Didn't get the memo." She shrugged.

"Tenzin's okay with it? He isn't gonna give you a lecture on sobriety as the Avatar?" He poured out two glasses and moved over to her.

"Never brought it up." She received a glass.

"Well, not my problem." He shrugged and took a sip. "The files should be back in my room."

"You don't have an office or something? Don't you end up mixing things up?"

"Nah, plus I figured I'd keep it where I spend most of my time anyway."

"Knowing you, I bet an office wouldn't make much of a difference anyway." She scoffed as she walked past him.

"Hey, I'm not messy." He frowned.

"Messy, piling stuff up." She smirked and turned to him. "You say tomaito, I say tomato." She headed into a hallway.

"Wait, you can't just waltz around my apartment."

"Lead the way, chief." She gestured.

He groaned and stooped over. "Welcome back, Korra."

"Ya miss me?" She smirked, getting another groan from him.

Traversing the small hall, Mako opened a door to his right and led Korra into his room, its walls covered in red and white wallpaper with Fire Ferret symbols littered around and floor carpeted with a red rug leading up to a burgundy sheeted bed laid between two drawers and set across from a large wardrobe. Moving to his left, Mako walked up to a locker he unlocked and opened, sifting through folders and papers that filled it.

"Fire Ferret posters? What? Never wanna get laid?" She smirked.

"It's for ... reasons; I remember my Pro-Bending days."

"You do know that just ruins the entire room, right?" She pointed at the locker. "How'd you get that in here anyway?"

"I have my ways." He crouched as he searched the lower shelf.

She crossed her arms and looked around, sighing as she waited. "You haven't found it yet?"

"It's a little ... difficult to find it in here. It's very ... organized."

"Maybe you should just say tomato; people won't look at you weirdly anyway." She shook her head and huffed. "Move aside, lemme see."

"But you won't be able to find it with the ... system I have set up." He moved aside.

She walked up to the locker, her brows stitching as she looked at the ruffled up papers and folders that filled each shelf, nearly falling out and a small duffle bag that lay at the bottom. "Man, how do you find anything in this mess?"

"I get to them." He crossed his arms. "... Eventually."

"How're you not fired yet?" She began searching. "Or do you __delegate__ everything to everyone else."

"They __are__ declassified files." His eyes darted around.

"Doesn't mean nobody will ever need 'em." She coughed. "Damn, do you clean this thing?"

"Dust is a sign of authenticity."

"What?" She turned to him.

"Yeah, I got nothing." He walked away.

Chuckling, she went back to searching as he paced around the room, turning to see the moon's rays create shadow patterns with the blinds. Moving up to the corner of the room, Mako turned on the lights and saw Korra pull out the duffle bag and sit on the bed.

"What's in here?" She unzipped the bag.

"Ah, that's where they are." He moved up to her. "I put 'em in a bag cuz there were too many to sort out and I planned to do it later."

"And later would be?" She raised her brow.

"Um ..." His eyes roamed. "Well, there're a lotta files in there, most of 'em coming from forensics and pictures taken from crime scenes. We've got some files on some Equalists we've arrested, but most of 'em were moved to the Boiling Rock after they escaped and started rampaging."

"You weren't joking about there being lots of stuff to dig through." She picked up a file. "But, I'll go through each of them anyway." She packed it and zipped the bag.

"Take as much time as you need."

"I will." She shouldered the bag. "Well, I'd better get going."

"I'll escort you." He headed for the door.

She followed him when something caught her eye in the locker. She picked it up and wiped dust off it, seeing a photo of the two of them sharing cotton candy before a Ferris wheel. "Oh, look." She chuckled. "This's the time when we went to the Glacier Spirits Festival."

"Hey, yeah." He took a look at the picture. "It was four years ago."

She smiled warmly. "Time sure does fly by."

"Yeah ..."

"Didn't think you'd still have it though." Her brows stitched.

"I just wanted to have a keepsake; it's something I didn't want to forget."

"You didn't want to?" She turned to him.

"Uh ... well, yeah. I needed to, but I kept it till you'd left for the Spirit World. I never really thought about it, even when we'd broken up, but you leaving made me realize we're too different to be together and our jobs always get in the way."

"Yeah." Her eyes lowered. "They always did, but I didn't leave because of you or anyone else; I needed to work some things out."

"I guess we needed the time apart to reflect; my work with the police had gotten harder, but I'm getting a handle on things now."

She smiled. "You think we could work things out again? Could __we__ work?"

"You were on my mind each day you were gone." He smiled back.

She pressed her lips against his, dropping the duffle bag and picture as she pushed him toward the door, slamming it shut as she pinned him back. Her breath quickened as she held his face, deepening the kiss as his hands snaked down to her back. She hastily unbuttoned his jacket, moving it aside as he stepped forward and pulled her vest upward, revealing her bra and massaged her breast.

Placing her arms on his shoulders, she leaned into him as she kissed him furiously, stepping back as he pulled her vest off and lifted her, pressing his lips against hers. Falling into the bed, the two ran their hands over each other, his moving down her thigh and up to her breast and hers unbuttoning his shirt.

* * *

KORRA'S EYES roamed the city as she looked around from a rooftop, turning to the Spirit Portal to her right. She frowned as the previous night came to mind, regretting her hasty departure and jumped down, weaving air around her to ease her descent. Moving over to a food cart, she stopped and turned as several vehicles drove down the street.

Red cars with Fire Nation insignias drove down the street with their militia following them in a motorcycle convoy. They whizzed past her and she turned to the lady at the cart when three other motorbikes eased into the corner of her eye. She studied them as they joined the motorcade, seeing RCPD logos on their sides.

"What's the police doing here?" Her brows furrowed.

She wove air around her waist and moved onto a building's rooftop, looking down at the street as the motorcade made a turn into another road. A military motorcycle drove into an alley and hit a dumpster, making her jerk back in surprise. Another motorbike swerved out of the convoy, into another street and crashed into a store.

"The hell?" She turned to the motorcade, squinting she as saw a police officer raise his arm and shot it to his right. A military bike turned to its right, into an alley and crashed into a dumpster. "Blood bending?"

She dove to the street and flipped over, using air to land on the road and stamped her foot on the asphalt, raising rocks in a line that launched a RCPD motorcycle. The police officer leapt off the vehicle in mid-air and spun toward her, letting the vehicle crash. She jumped back and he shot his hands toward her, holding her in the air.

She gritted her teeth as her limbs contorted, her muscles sliding against each other as her arms twisted and her knees came together. She screamed and bright light shone from her eyes, releasing her from the policeman's grasp. She shot three fireballs at him in swift punches and he flipped out of the way, zigzagging as he ran up to her.

He kicked her in the face and wove water out of a tube on his belt, grabbing her leg with it and slammed her on the ground. He whipped her around and spun, tossing her into the air. She flipped over and hovered with fire from her boots, spraying fire onto him with a palm thrust.

He leapt to his right, running onto a food cart as civilians ran away and jumped onto a store's roof. Shifting his arms to his side, he drew out water and shot icicles at her in quick palm-thrusts. She swerved out of the way and he wrapped a tube of water around her ankle, slamming her on the ground.

She groaned as the man ran toward her and she got on one knee, weaving the water on the ground into a line of ice stalagmites that shot toward him. He jumped to the side and she spun the icicles around, impaling his back. She rose to her feet and panted as the ice melted and she turned to the motorcade that drove into the distance. A police motorcycle left the convoy and turned into another street.

She moved up to the corpse and kicked it over, studying its uniform as her eyes trailed it. Stopping at the neck, she frowned as she saw a spot on it, kneeling down as she moved the jacket aside. A black crescent moon laying within two rings ran down the side of his neck.

Standing up, she studied the corpse. "What the hell's going on here?"

* * *

MAKO SAT back as he held up a file and read it, frowning as he looked at his desk that towered with several others. Placing it down, he began working on his typewriter, creaking his neck as he leaned forward and sipped his cup of coffee, groaning as it had finished. Rising from his seat, he moved up to the door when a knock came and he opened it, finding Korra standing behind it, a bag slung over her shoulder.

"Oh, Korra, where've you been? You left before I'd woken up."

"I, uh ... had to deal with something." She glanced around.

"So, what brings you here?" He stepped back and let her in.

"The Fire Nation motorcade was attacked." She moved up to his desk.

"What?"

"I intercepted a bunch of Bloodbenders posing as RCPD who attacked the convoy and sent soldiers off course. I put one down, but the others got away."

"Wait, Bloodbenders? How'd that happen?"

"Wait a minute, how isn't the RCPD on it already?" She raised her brow.

"Well, we got a call on a disturbance on Eighth and sent some officers to check it out and all they found was the scene of a fight that'd just occurred." He shut the door behind him.

"That's where I fought the attackers."

"But how did this happen? If there was an attack, surely the Fire Nation would've gotten on the case long before we did. I mean, wasn't the motorcade thrown off course?" He moved up to his desk.

"No, they just Bloodbended the Fire Nation soldiers into crashing, but the motorcade went on as if nothing happened." She took a seat.

"Well, I'd have to report this to Ling, but this's tricky." He sat down. "If Bloodbenders infiltrated the police force, then we need evidence as to how much we've been compromised. We also need to figure out how the motorcade just went on without noticing."

"There was some distance between the attackers and the convoy and most of the cars were up ahead." She frowned. "What's troubling me more is this." She fished out a dossier out of the bag.

"What's this?" He picked up the file and flipped through it.

"I searched the files on the Equalists for hours after the attack and I found a photograph of one of their members bearing this symbol." She held up a photograph of a crescent moon laying within two circles.

"Yeah, we've seen this symbol on two Equalists, but it's never led to anything substantial." He received it.

"That's the symbol on the Boodbender that attacked the convoy."

"So, the Equalists have more Bloodbenders among them." He closed the dossier. "This is bad."

"What's worse is that they're out to stop the treaty signing." She frowned.

* * *

BREATHING DEEPLY, Zaheer shut his eyes and calmed his mind, his hands placed on his legs as he hovered in the lotus position. Manacles wrapped around his wrists, legs and midsection, linked by chains that ran to the ground and attached to the circumference of a green circle in the middle of the room. Rocks walled the expanse with metal comprising the boundary behind him and a large door before him.

The door slowly slid upward, the sound of it grazing against rock drawing his attention as it revealed two men standing behind it. One of them, a guard, walked toward him, struggling as he moved and unlocked the chains on the circle, making him jerk back in shock as he was freed. Frowning, he turned to the sentry who looked at him in a panic.

"What are you doing?" Zaheer frowned.

"I c-can't control myself!" The guard strained.

"What is this?"

"We're giving you freedom; a chance to follow your destiny." The second man walked toward him slowly, wearing a black mask with white markings and clad in a hoody and trousers with a crescent moon circle on his chest.


	2. Blood In The Water

CHUCKLING AT a newspaper comic, a balding, elderly man trod down the sidewalk, ignoring the noise around him as he headed for work. Unlocking the door, he entered the building – enjoying the sound of the bell – and flipped the sign to show 'OPEN'. Removing his coat, he moved over to the counter when something came into his peripheral vision, making him turn and jerk back in shock.

"What the ...?"

Running out of the shop, he crossed the road and entered a crowd of people – his eyes dilated in shock as he moved closer. Squeezing his way through, he frowned, looking around as he studied the scene. Furrowing his brow, he turned to a woman to his left whose face whitened in horror.

A line of icicles spread across the road, leading up to a perforated vehicle that lay atop it – tire tracks zigzagging behind it and moving toward a car that approached. Screeching to a stop, the driver stepped out slowly – her eyes bulging in shock as she ran up to the scene. Running her hand through her hair, her mouth fell agape.

"Oh my God." Asami gasped.

A woman's corpse hung from the wall of a store – blood flowing down to the sidewalk and pooling around. Icicles impaled the carcass, moving vertically in two parallel wavy lines across the torso.

* * *

"THIS IS an outrage!" Tonraq rose from his seat. "You accuse us of the assassination?"

"It's not an accusation, it's a fact." Izumi frowned. "The evidence at the crime scene proves that waterbending was used in the murder and there is no one else to point to."

Murmuring spread through the City Hall – the main concourse occupied by civilians from the four nations with guards manning the entrances and vantage points. A table stood atop the main platform where Councilman Tenzin, President Raiko, Chief Tonraq, Fire Lord Izumi and ambassadors from the Water, Fire, Air and Earth nations sat.

"Please, please, calm down; there's no reason to jump to extremes." Tenzin shot up.

"You can't just assume that based on the presence of waterbending. To do so is absolutely ridiculous." Tonraq growled.

"With the timing of the attack, there is no other line to draw than that. This treaty will forever unite the four nations and make a stand against terrorists like Kuvira, Zaheer and Unaluk. This murder is an attempt to stop the summit from happening and while I'm confident the Earth and Air Nations are on board, I have my qualms about the Water Nation." Izumi's expression grew impassive.

"And what are they?" Tonraq's brow furrowed.

"I needn't remind you that Unaluk was from the Water Nation and moreover, your blood brother. You may have a vendetta to continue his deluded schemes."

Tonraq's mouth fell agape. "The man tried to kill my daughter!"

"I am merely pulling at straws. Really, we can't prove anything without investigation, but all evidence points to you." Izumi sat back.

"Fire Lord Izumi, let's clear our heads and think about this for a second." Tenzin looked at her pleadingly. "The four nations were at war for centuries and we've been divided long before then. This is a chance to unite and ensure peace not only for us, but for the future generations. We cannot fight amongst ourselves when it's clear that the attack was meant to disrupt the summit."

"So, what would you suggest, Tenzin?" Izumi interlocked her fingers.

"We should demonstrate our union by working together to apprehend those responsible for this." Tenzin frowned.

Izumi's eyes moved around council members, falling back on Tenzin. "I agree, but the Fire Nation will do it on its own terms. Until evidence is found, we shall postpone the summit and I'll have my own men handle the investigation."

"Fire Lord Izumi, please reconsider your decision –,"

"We cannot deny the facts – the Water Nation has ties to this. Amon, Councilman Tarlok and Unaluk were all waterbenders that ripped this city apart and waterbenders carried out this assassination. I won't take part in any more discussions until we prove they aren't behind this." Izumi rose from her seat. "All in favour of my proposal?"

"How can you accuse an entire nation for the actions of three men? The Water Nation __is__ part of this treaty – there is nothing we'd gain from disrupting it." Tonraq frowned.

The ambassadors, President Raiko and the president of the Earth Republic shared glances – murmurs spreading as they discussed amongst themselves. Raising hands one by one, the delegates present showed their agreement unanimously, making Tenzin and Tonraq jerk back in surprise.

"Are you honestly accusing the Water Nation of such a heinous crime?"

"Until further evidence is found, the Water Nation is the first suspect." Izumi donned a deadpanned expression.

Tenzin looked around the table, seeing the faces of those who raised their hands. He sighed. "Meeting adjourned."

The once silent hall sprung to life as the delegates rose from their seats, heading down the aisle with their guards toward the door. Korra's brows stitched as she watched the proceeding – Mako, Asami and Bolin sitting in the same row alongside her – turning to see Tenzin walk past. Judging his angered expression, she turned to Mako who nodded and stood up with her.

* * *

PEOPLE FLOCKED around the City Hall as the delegates moved up to their cars – guards standing around their motorcades and holding off civilians and reporters that crowded around them. Moving down the steps of the building, Korra, Bolin, Mako and Asami made their way to the parking lot when some journalists approached them.

"Avatar Korra, could you give us your thoughts on what transpired?" A man fished out a pen and notepad.

"Do you think the Water Nation is conspiring to disrupt the summit?" A woman held up her camera.

"Do you agree with Fire Lord Izumi's decision?" Another man adjusted his glasses.

"Look, the Avatar's a little busy right now and –," Korra interrupted Mako.

"I agree with Fire Lord Izumi that an investigation has to be done before the treaty signing can continue, but I don't think the Water Nation is responsible."

"Is this because of credible evidence you have or is it because of your affiliation with them?" A woman raised her brow.

"I'll only say more when I get proof of my theory."

"And what would that theory be?" A man jotted down her words.

"No more questions."

Moving past the mob of hungry reporters, the four moved toward the parking lot. Looking around, Bolin raised his brow and turned to Korra. "Why didn't you just tell them about the bloodbenders?"

"We don't want them to cook up crazy stories before I can prove it. The situation's tricky and if I bring them up without finding out who they are, the Water Nation will definitely be accused of it." Korra frowned slightly.

"So, you think they're the ones behind the murder?" Asami raised her brow.

"That's what we're gonna find out."

* * *

SITTING BACK, Korra studied a newspaper article of the murder, stitching her eyes as she sat in Mako's office and placed her feet on the table – the afternoon sun illuminating the room dimly through the blinds and shining over the workspace cluttered with papers and files. Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Mako sipped his coffee and fished a photo out of a bag laid atop his desk – looking closely at the crescent moon laid within two circles. Concern etched on her brow as she turned to him, seeing the bags under his eyes.

"Work catching up to ya?"

"One of the times the job __becomes__ work." He shook his head and sat back.

"So, what're the casualties?" She slapped the newspaper on the table.

"Three victims, a driver, a guard and the ambassador – all murdered with icicles to the neck while she was left out on display." He set the picture down.

"That's it? Don't they have convoys or something?"

"Well, the Fire Nation has withheld info about their security detail and put their own men in charge of their RCPD escort. The ambassador most likely had a convoy, but none of them were at the scene of the crime."

"That's our first lead then." She sat up.

"How?"

"I witness their first attack and they used bloodbending to send guards spiralling off course. The fact that the convoy wasn't there proves that the people that attacked the first time are responsible."

"Well, yeah, but we still have to find out who they are. They infiltrated the RCPD and if they were able to get past the Fire Nation's security, then it means they posed as cops again."

"Were the soldiers from the first attack found?" Her brows stitched.

"We don't know." He shrugged. "We only know that here was a fight, but nobody knows anything about the attack other than you and a couple witnesses that saw you fight. Other than that, nothing."

"But how? The soldiers were careened off course – there has to have been at least __one__ person from the Fire Nation who saw what happened." She frowned. "Nobody asked questions?"

"The attack virtually didn't happen. You know about the attack and I trust your word, but other than a couple of eye witnesses, there's nothing in the air."

"Something's going on here." She sifted her mind. "We're gonna need help with this. Do you have any friends here that you completely trust? People you're sure couldn't be spies." She raised her brow.

"Yeah, but they're all working on the security detail for the ambassadors." He folded his arms.

"What about Ling?"

"She's the one leading the op."

"Dammit." She huffed. "Is there anyone who we can go to with this?"

* * *

LISTENING TO the radio broadcast of the treaty signing; Iroh frowned and sat back, looking at the newspaper at his desk. His eyes roamed the room – the deep brown walls darkening the already dim expanse with bookshelves lining the left side of the office, black tiles covering the floor and a mahogany table standing before the large leather chair he sat upon. Reading the front page article of the newspaper, he reached for a pen when his phone rang.

"Hello, this is General Iroh." He picked up the phone.

"Iroh, this is Mako, I need to talk to you about the murder of the Fire Nation Ambassador." Mako's voice came.

"I got word of it, but nothing much has come up. You've got something for me?"

"We need to meet – there's a lot to discuss."

* * *

IROH FROWNED as he sifted his mind and read dossiers on the Equalists – studying the picture of the moon tattoo. Korra and Mako stood across from him – the woman's eyes darting around as they were in an abandoned building, apprehensive and ready for anything.

"So, you think it's the Equalists?" Iroh leaned on a black car behind him and handed Korra the documents.

"They're our only suspects. I don't know how they got more bloodbenders, but that's what's happened." Mako pocketed his hands.

"Have you told anyone else about this?"

"No, we could've told Ling, but she wouldn't be of any help focussing on the security detail of the summit. We don't want her second guessing her men if they aren't moles and we don't want this to spread unless we have concrete evidence about this." Korra frowned. "Even if we prove that bloodbending was involved in the murder, we have to know who's behind it to avoid implicating the Water Nation."

"So what's the plan?" Iroh folded his arms.

"We need to investigate the scene of the crime and we need you to get us clearance since the Fire Nation's all over the place." Korra zipped her bag and shouldered it. "If we're gonna find out what happened to the convoy, there's gonna be some evidence there."

"I understand." Iroh nodded and moved over to the car door. "Let's get started." He entered the vehicle.

* * *

"WHOA, I feel like I'm in a bond movie." Bolin grinned.

"It's not a bond movie." Korra glanced at him and leaned on the car door. "How'd you come to that conclusion anyway?"

"We're on a secret investigation avoiding the government. It's like 24."

"Again, weird conclusion." She frowned.

"Yeah, well, don't get too excited, Bolin." Mako said from the front seat. "We don't want them to know about our investigation or we'd end up making a political incident."

"Gotcha, I'll be totally silent." Bolin zipped his mouth.

Turning at an intersection, Iroh drove up to the scene of the accident – police tape encompassing a portion of a sidewalk and a lane of the road. Several men roamed the area, each clad in brown and black uniforms with badges showing Fire Nation insignias and searching the damaged road, slowly melting icicles and cracked pavement. Disembarking their vehicle, Iroh, Mako, Korra and Bolin moved up to a large man wearing a dark 4/4 jacket who watched the others.

"Sorry, this is a restricted area." One of the men walked up to them.

"General Iroh." Iroh flashed his ID. "I'd like to speak to the head detective."

The man frowned slightly then turned to the man in the dark jacket. "Detective Nobuyuki."

Nobuyuki raised his brow then moved up to them. "Yes?"

"We would like to inspect this area. We've got evidence that'd aid the investigation." Iroh walked up to him.

"I'm sorry, but the investigation will be carried out by the Fire Nation without assistance from the other nations. Our ambassador was assassinated on foreign soil, so it is our responsibility."

"Please, sir, we can work together on this. With our findings, we could locate the missing convoy." Iroh gestured to Korra's bag.

"You do?" Nobuyuki's face lit up.

"Yes, if we just –,"

"I'm afraid that cannot be done." Nobuyuki frowned. "Fire Lord Izumi ordered that we carry out the investigation on our own."

"The Fire Nation is not alone in this – the summit is the union of all four nations and we should work together to stop the attackers if we want that to happen." Anger etched on Korra's face.

"I'm under strict orders and I will follow them. But, I cannot pass up anything that'd aid our search." Nobuyuki walked up to Korra. "Hand over your findings."

"What? I'm not giving them to you." Korra backed up. "If you won't help us, then we'll just continue investigating on our own."

"I can't allow that. The Fire Nation will handle the case on its own, so consider your operation officially cancelled."

"Whoa, wait, just hold up." Bolin walked up to him.

"Detective Nobuyuki, consider what we're saying here. RCPD has been investigating the Equalists for years now and we have more knowledge on how to engage them. If they're behind this, you'll need our help." Mako stood in his way.

"I'm sorry, but orders are orders." Nobuyuki frowned and turned to the other men. "Confiscate their bag and search their vehicle."

"Wait, you can't do that!" Korra moved up to the vehicle and Iroh held her back. "Wha – let go of me!"

"No, Korra, just let them take the bag and search the car." He let go of her shoulder.

"What?" She frowned.

"Wait, don't you need that for your investigation?" Bolin raised his brow.

"Fire Lord Izumi's giving them their orders and we don't want to cause an incident."

Korra looked at him then huffed. "Fine." She handed a detective her bag.

Surrounding the vehicle, the Fire Nation detectives began their search – opening the trunk, moving the chairs, the glove compartments; everywhere they could inspect. Having sifted the car, one of the men handed a folder to Nobuyuki along with Korra's bag. Frowning deeply, Korra reluctantly left with Mako, Iroh and Bolin; entering the automobile and driving off away from the scene.

"So, what're we gonna do now?" Korra folded her arms, sinking into the back passenger seat.

"Follow them. If they look at the intel, they'll surely search the embassies." Iroh looked at her through the rear-view mirror. "They're bound to attack another ambassador."

"But which ones should we look for?" Bolin leaned toward him.

"We'll follow them and find out."

"And what if they attack the City Hall or the councilmen?" Bolin raised his brow.

"Let's just hope figure this out before that happens." Mako frowned.

* * *

SEVERAL BLACK vehicles parked around a large, beige building with a white portico – Fire Nation soldiers patrolling the area and keeping civilians away from the premises. A man stood at a window at a building across from them – keeping his distance to avert detection as he held up binoculars and surveyed the situation. Looking at his watch, he fished out a radio.

"This's Wilcox, got an eye on the Water Nation embassy." He pulled up his binoculars. "Everything seems quiet and the Fire Nation's put some men guarding the building."

"Good, keep me posted." Iroh's voice came.

"Yes, sir."

* * *

IROH GOT off the radio and started the vehicle – driving out of a parking lot and into the road, moving up to an intersection. Stopping at a red light, he looked to his left and saw Fire Nation vehicles parked around it with men patrolling. He made the turn and drove up to a sidewalk, parking several metres away.

"Now we wait." He turned off the car.

"Y'know, this is kind of a long shot." Bolin sat back. "What if they don't attack today?"

"So, what'd you have us do, huh?" Mako turned to him.

"I dunno, I just think they wouldn't attack today. It's too soon since the assassination."

"Well, if there's nothing today, then we'll keep trying till we catch 'em." Korra frowned.

"Okay, I guess." Bolin's brows stitched with uncertainty.

Korra sat back and crossed her arms – seeing the Fire Nation patrolling around a large building with their vehicles parked around it. She sifted her mind, wondering which embassy would be attacked and what the motives of the attacks were. Were they somehow linked to the Water Nation? Somehow trying to cause unrest and start a war all over again?  
"Sir, this is Lieutenant Maxwell." A voice came on the radio.

"Yes, come in." Iroh picked up the radio.

"There's an attack on the Water Nation embassy on the corner of 5th and Broadway."

"Okay, we're on it." Iroh turned on the vehicle.

"What happened?" Korra leaned toward him.

"An embassy's under attack."

* * *

MANOEUVRING THE street, Iroh made a sharp turn at an intersection – seeing several hooded, masked men scaling down the building and the Fire Nation standing around it and taking fighting stances. Korra stood from her seat, stepping onto the door and alarming Mako and Bolin.

"Korra, what're you –,"

Korra shot towards the building with fire propelling her under her feet and moved towards the building. A man scaling the building untethered himself and jumped up to her, weaving water around him and sending an icicle toward her. She spun around – deflecting the attack with her leg and sending a gust of wind at him, smashing him into the building.

She flipped over and landed in front of the Fire Nation, angering Nobuyuki who walked toward her. "What're you doing here? I officially cancelled your investigation."

"You have to get outta here." She walked up to him. "They're bloodbend –,"

Korra and the men froze up in place – their bodies stiffening and their limps twisting as they ascended into the air. Screams spread as they were contorted – a man's arm ripping clean off while another's neck snapped in half. Korra balled up and grit her teeth, her eyes glowing brightly as she sent air around her, shooting fire at a man standing on a rooftop nearby bloodbending them.

"Nobuyuki, get your men outta here." She turned to them and shot toward the bloodbender.

Nobuyuki struggled to his feet as he and his men got their bearings – the masked men massing around them weaving water ready to attack. Iroh's car screeched to stop and he, Mako and Bolin jumped out and raced up to them. A masked man sent a torrent of water at Bolin who slammed his fist on the ground, raising a column of earth that dispersed the attack as Mako and Iroh spread out.

Nobuyuki sidestepped from a water whip, shooting a fireball at the man and knocking him over. Bolin clenched his fist and spread his arms apart – turning the earth into a pool of lava that he sent towards the masked men who shot grappling hooks at building, evading the attack. They sent down a volley of icicles and he knelt down – covering himself in lava and thrusting his fists upward and sending balls of lava at them, that they evade as them and ran up the side of the building.

Korra rolled to her feet and dodged a water whip, shifting her weight as she walked toward him nimbly and held her hands before her. Bending over, she stamped her foot on the roof, elevating rocks underneath the man and launching him into the air. The man spun out of control and shot grappling hooks on the ground – catapulting himself downward and kicking her in the face.

She fell back and swerved around in mid-air, stabbing her hand into the ground and chucking a rock into the man's face. Stumbling back, he stretched his arms out – summoning icicles that hovered around him. He shot them toward her, surrounding her at all sides and raining on her in a relentless onslaught.

She flipped back and landed on one knee, holding her forearm upward as she blocked an icicle – turning it toward before it made contact. She spun around, catching each icicle as they shot towards her. He stepped on the ground and shot water on the roof – covering the expanse and spreading around her. He clenched his fists, freezing the water and creating icicles that he sent up around her.

She went into the Avatar State, creating a storm as air swerved around in a tornado and destroying the roof as bricks ascended. The man looked around and panicked as he was pushed to the edge and nearly fell off. Frowning, he jumped back and drew out small black pellets from his satchel and threw into the air – exploding and spreading down to the street in a cloud of smoke.

A masked man sent a water whip at Mako who jumped out of the way and shot lightning into his chest – burrowing through him. A hooded man ran up a car and lunged at him with an ice coated fist and Iroh shot a fireball at him, knocking him over. Nobuyuki backed up and held his fighting stance – seeing his men dead on the ground around him as the hooded men surrounded him.

A man ran toward them, ready to attack when the smoke engulfed him and he stepped back. Lowing his fists, he stepped back and entered the cloud – his eyes glowing bright blue as he disappeared. Several blue lights glinted and disappeared as they cloud engulfed the street – sounds of wires retracting deadening out of earshot.

Korra spread a wave of air, dispersing the cloud and clearing the airspace. She landed in the street and walked up to the others –seeing Nobuyuki get his bearings as few of his men rose to their feet while others laid dead on the ground.

"Is the ambassador still alive?" Korra turned to Nobuyuki who spoke to his men, sending them into the building.

* * *

KORRA, MAKO and Bolin moved down the foyer of his apartment = flipping the light switch on and slumping on the chairs. Moving into the dining room, Mako grabbed a beer from the fridge when the door swung open and Asami stormed into the room.

"Oh, thank God." She panted. "I heard what happened on the news – sorry, I was so busy; I couldn't make it."

"Well, it's a good thing you weren't cuz these guys weren't messing around." Korra winced as she rubbed her bruised arm.

"Who were those guys?" Asami turned to Mako.

"We –,"

"Good evening, citizens of Republic City." A monotone, husky man's voice came on the radio, drawing their attention. "I am the Anarchist and we, the Mark of the Moon, are here to liberate the city from the oppressive governments and their corrupt politics. For years, we've lived in the shadows; waiting for the day of reckoning when waterbenders shall rise and take over the world. We cannot unite with the other nations, especially the Fire Nation who's treaty is a farce in order to spread their talons and control us. No longer will we hide and no longer will your false of peace blind the people of this city. And to the Avatar, stay out of our way or all you hold dear will crumble before your eyes. You may outnumber us, but no matter how many stars are in the sky; the moon will always outshine them."

"Did they just declare war on the four nations?" Asami backed up.

"What the hell is going on here?" Korra frowned.


	3. Retaliation

CAMERAS FLASHED and murmurs spread as hungry reporters massed around the steps of city hall. A frown crossed Detective Nobuyuki's face, one he tried feebly to mask as questions flew in:

"Will the four nations respond to the declaration of war?"

"Do you know anything about the Anarchist?"

"What're you going to do about the assassinations?"

"Is the Water Nation behind the Mark of the Moon?"

"How will this affect the summit?"

Nobuyuki sighed and calmed his mind, masking his irritation. "Investigations are underway as we speak. We currently have no real information about the Mark of the Moon and their leader, but with the Avatar's help, we will bring him to justice. The ambassadors have been moved to highly secure locations away from their embassies and for the time being, the summit will be postponed."

More questions flooded in as he stepped off the podium, followed by other soldiers as a man stood before the horde of journalist. Behind the crowd stood Korra, stewing with anger as she folded her arms and scoffed.

* * *

"'THE AVATAR'S cooperation', can you believe that?" Korra slapped a newspaper on Mako's desk, slumping on a chair. "The guy takes all the evidence we'd found then up and lies that we're helping him willingly."

"I think you're missing the point here." Mako grabbed his coffee.

"Really? Cuz you should be just as pissed off as I am."

"I am, it's frustrating, but we need to focus on the war declaration and whoever this Anarchist guy is."

"Yeah, guess you're right." She sighed and sat back. "Well, at least we now know that they have an align themselves with waterbenders and wants to stop the treaty from happening – definitely put a wedge in the way of its signing."

"They most likely have a connection with the Equalists. With the tattoo you'd spotted when you fought one of them and the image from one of their bases, they must be linked."

"Or they might be enemies." She stroked her chin.

"How?"

"Well, they have similarities, but their goals are different." She sat up. "The Equalists wanted equality for benders and non-benders alike while the Mark of the Moon want the waterbender supremacy."

"It is possible." He sifted his mind. "But, it could just be something the Anarchist said to disrupt the summit. It could just be a means to an end to ensure the Fire Nation and Water Nation would have a fallout that'd stop the treaty altogether."

"Maybe, but it doesn't matter now cuz Nobuyuki took all our evidence." She crossed her arms.

"Not all of it."

"What do you mean?"

"I had my assistant make two copies of the files that were in the lockup." He stood and walked up to shelf to the left of his desk. "The one at my place was the second one and I kept the first ..." He fished out a duffel bag. "Here."

"This's awesome! Now we can continue our investigation." She grinned and she moved up to him and opened the bag. "Where should we start?" She picked up some documents."

"Let's try to prove our theories by checking the Equalist bases." He fished out a folder. "If there's anything linking the Mark of the Moon to them, we'll find it there."

"Or we'll find that I'm right about their goals being different __and__ that they're hiding behind them to lead us on a wild goose chase."

"You didn't say that earlier."

"Just came off the top a' my head just now." She grinned then grabbed the file from him. "I'll check the bases while you ... try to find something else to do."

"You know that's extremely random, right."

"I wanna do a solo mission." She headed for the door. "Getting a lil rusty."

She waved at him and took her leave, leaving him alone in the room as he rummaged through the bag. As he searched, something clicked, making him step back and pace around. If the Mark of the Moon want waterbender supremacy, then why did they attack a Water Nation ambassador?

* * *

"GOOD MORNING." Bolin smiled at a woman who walked past him, proceeding down the hall with his head held high as he traversed the expanse.

Wearing the uniform lifted his spirits and even though he wasn't a high ranking officer, he still felt in charge. Being around military personnel might've made him tense at times, but it was nothing like it was for him as an actor. Oddly enough, he expected more women in corps. Guess movies and real life were more different than he thought.

He made a turn and saw General Iroh step out of his office, adjusting his clothes as he moved up to his superior. "Good morning, General, how are you this morning?"

"You just greeted me twice in the same greeting." Iroh raised his brow.

"Well, how are you then?" Bolin winced. "Sorry, still trying to act cool around this place."

"You'll grow out of it." Iroh locked the door and headed down the hall.

"Are you going somewhere? Up to some important General-ial-y business?"

"Actually I am, though I doubt that's a word."

"Could I come with?"

"I think you should sit this one out, Bolin – wanna keep this on the DL."

"Oh, come on, I can keep a secret."

"It's not that." Iroh glanced around, seeing that the hall he'd entered was clear. "I want to make sure any possible moles in the United Forces don't notice me moving around on my own."

"What do you mean?" Bolin's brows stitched.

"There're moles in the RCPD and nobody knows the full extent of it. In case there're some here, I wanna make sure they don't know what I'm up to."

"So, what should I do then?"

"Cover for me. If anybody asks, say I'm busy prepping for possible attacks on the city by the Mark of the Moon."

"You got it, sir – nobody will know about what you're doing secretly off the books!" Bolin saluted. Iroh glared at him, sending shivers up his spine as he chuckled uneasily and looked around. "Sorry." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Where're you going anyway?"

"To see Asami."

* * *

CLICKING IN a code on the keypad beside the door, Asami entered an expansive hall, leading Iroh into the room as lights came on as they moved onward. Several vehicles came alight as they proceeded, forming rows upon rows and leading up to a large metal containment chamber at the end of the room.

"This's the R & D lockup where we keep future Future Industries vehicles before we release them onto the market – gotta stay ahead of the crowd." She smirked. "Sure, a lotta these're models similar to those we've released before, but we're working on marvels like flying cars! That'd definitely revolutionize travel as we know it."

"Or incite a law suit from Stark Industries." He looked around.

"Oh, Howard's too busy making movies to care about us ... I hope." She chuckled. "Anyway, we've got many vehicles I'm excited about, like The Ghost." She gestured to a chrome sedan in a display case to her right. "A vehicle that could move up to 268miles per hour."

"Really?"

"Well, theoretically anyway. We're having trouble with ... reaching the actual speed – but we can hope, right?" She grinned.

"Indeed we can." He nodded and watched her move ahead of him, his mind drifting as his eyes trailed down her body.

"We've got the –,"

"Look, sorry, but I didn't exactly come for a special tour."

"Oh, sorry." Her face flushed. "I just been so consumed by work lately – it was nice to have somebody to show our future vehicles to. Can't exactly do that with anybody."

"I could come for a tour later on."

"Well, then we'd be wasting valuable time – you've still got the summit to worry about."

"Yeah – right."

"... We can still do it another time though."

"Sure thing."

She smiled then shook her head. "Anyway, this's is what you came for." She walked onward.

Following her down the hall, he stepped back as she stood before the metal containment chamber – keying in a code on the keypad on the right. Hearing the affirmative beep, she moved aside as the twin doors opened, displaying a battle suit that lay nestled within.

Fashioned in white plating interwoven with green tubes, the suit stood at around 6 feet, having a masculine build with a visor on the helmet. Its paintjob gleamed in the fluorescent light, showing its simplistic design as black fabric showed between the metal and weaved through the spaces in the armour leading up to a red orb in the centre of its chest.

"I give you the Spirit Suit." She gestured. "Varrick Tech patented."

"Whoa." His eyes dilated in interest.

"Whoa, indeed." She smirked. "The suit's powered by Spirit Energy and incorporates it into the armour to increase durability. What's special about it however is how it can use the Spirit Energy to balance the chi of the user – that's how it can combat bloodbending."

"Simply balancing chi?" Curiosity grew in his expression.

"Yes. I hypothesise that the Avatar State is simply a heightened balance of chi. You know how all benders have to harness their chi to control elements?"

"Talking to a firebender." He chuckled.

"Well, if I'm right, this suit should give the wearer a heightened balance of chi, one that can rival the Avatar State. Obviously, there's more to the Avatar State than balancing chi, but I'm sure it's one of its key factors __and__ why bloodbending doesn't work when one is in that state."

"This is brilliant! How many of these do you have?"

"Just this one and it's not even ready yet. It's still in development and a little volatile. I'd need a week at the least to get it battle-ready."

"Hmm, guess it can't be helped." He frowned slightly. "I'll be back later to see how it's going."

"You know, we've still got mechatanks – you could use those. Sure, it can't combat bloodbending, but it'd definitely give you an advantage in battle."

"No, we shouldn't." He headed for the door.

"C'mon, at least let me leave you with something." She followed him. "I've been working on a new design that'd increase agility."

"We're not gonna use a mechatank."

"Why?"

"Asami, there're masked men causing chaos in the city again – anything that reminds the people of the Equalists and Kuvira would reverse what the treaty's trying to do. What the people need to see is the United Forces protecting them, not mechatanks that'd remind them of Amon."

"Okay." She huffed.

"Just let me know when the suit's done." He headed out the door. "I'll keep in touch – you can still be of help." She smiled.

* * *

TIRES SCREECHED as Korra veered out of control, crashing her car right into a lamppost and smacking her forehead on the steering wheel. Lifting her head painfully, she groaned as she sat back – shaking her head as she took in her surroundings and disembarked. She fished out a map from the glove compartment, spreading it out before her and checking the location she was in.

"How do people do this driving thing anyway?" She muttered.

She rolled up the map and looked forward, a frown stitching as she grew tense. Police tap wrapped around the building that stood before her, it's damaged wooden walls and shattered windows showing its age as moss and vines wove around the structure. Stuffing the paper in her pocket, she stepped forward and eased her way through the boundaries – her eyes darting around as she looked around for pedestrians.

Moving over the broken tiles outside the edifice, she entered the foyer and looked around – feeling the cold envelop her in the empty expanse. She called out and her voice echoed, resounding through the creaking walls and desolate halls. She moved up to the end of the room and looked to her left and right, seeing corridors moving deeper in the building.

"It'd be funny if Batman came here cuz of this." She flipped a coin and took the hall to the left.

Entering the dim expanse, she squinted as it tapered out into the darkness – the dirty walls darkening as they went further. Lighting a fireball in her hand, she trod onward apprehensively, making sure to keep her guard up as memories flashed of the Chi Blockers sneaky attacks. Moving down the hall, she saw grass growing out of the floor and stretching around.

She knelt down and touched it, rubbing the blades between her fingers. "It's fresh." She frowned.

She stood up and jogged onward, hearing the trickling of water echo behind the walls as she proceeded. She tripped and fell over, quickly turning to see a vine growing out of the floor and into a wall to her left. She stood up and touched it, sensing no Spirit Energy coming from it.

"What's going on here?" She stepped back.

Warmth grew in her body as her eyes glowed, quickly coming back to normal as she turned and heard the water trickling louden. She ran down the hall and bumped into something, cursing as she stepped back and bit her tongue by accident. She squinted her eyes as she saw the floor end at a certain point, opening into a chasm at the end of the hall.

She stepped forward and held her hand out, feeling the texture of bricks before her though nothing stood in her way. She felt around and sensed that it was an invisible wall, spreading out across the hall up to the wall to her left. She moved her hand around and it phased into the wall to her left, drawing a shriek from her.

The wall on the left flickered and disappeared, revealing another hallway that spread onward. She studied both pathways and turned to the one with the invisible wall, taking her earthbending stance as she closed her eyes and focussed on the structure she couldn't see.

"Just because it's invisible, doesn't mean I can't bend it."

She shifted her torso back and thrust her fists forward, hearing rocks crumble and bounce off the ground. She stepped back as she saw red energy exude from the ground, unveiling the concrete wall she'd broken. Walking slowly, she moved past the rubble and up to the opening – seeing water running down below through a pipe that led through a grate to her left.

"A sewer pipe?" She studied the water. "It must lead to a cave of some kind – why am I talking to myself?"

She scoffed and jumped down, weaving air around her feet so she'd levitate above the current. She frowned as she looked closer at the water, seeing bricks underneath that let some water seep through. Lifting her fists up, she broke a hole through the floor, raising the concrete to impede the flow as she descended into the darkness.

She forged a fireball in her descent, illuminating the expanse as she landed in the middle of a large room. Water trickled and she looked up, seeing the hole begin to leak – quickly throwing her arms to the right and closing it. She sent the fire up to the ceiling, lighting up the room as she moved around.

Several boards lined the walls, displaying a collage of papers and pictures tacked upon it and filling the room. She moved up to a wall and studied the board, seeing that the papers were parts of newspapers, maps and photographs aligned to create a plan linked by red string. She huffed as she read it, rubbing her nose as she stepped back.

"How do people plan anything like this? Thought Amazing Spider-Man 2 was bad." She frowned.

Moving along the wall, she spotted something that drew her attention, moving up to a photograph that stood at the corner of the board. A crescent moon nestled within two rings adorned the top of a picture, right above an image of Amon.

She jerked back. "The Equalists and the Mark of the Moon are the same!"

* * *

"I CAN'T believe this." Mako stepped back. "Well, I can – I did think that anyway."

"Guess I was wrong about their goals being different." Korra crossed her arms. "Now we just need to know what they're planning."

He leaned over his desk and studied the picture, sifting his mind as he looked up to her. "What would the Equalists gain from this? They're working with benders and they're their worst enemy – I thought Amon tricked them."

"Well, I'm just as confused as you are." She slumped on his chair. "There's more going on here – no bender could pull off what I saw."

"How were you the only one who could see that pathway?" He turned to her. "We had several men searching it over and over and Ling couldn't sense any other rooms."

"I don't know. The water probably interfered with her seismic sense, but I don't know." She scratched her head. "The wall was invisible before I broke it."

"Ling sensed platinum infused in the wall – how could __you__ bend it?"

"There was metal in the wall? Just seemed like brick to me." She stroked her chin. "Well, invisible brick – maybe it's some kinda Spirit Cement or something."

"Kinda sounds like a Varrick Tech brand."

"Or Stark Industries. Have you ever seen Howard Stark and Varrick in the same room?"

"No."

"Gives you a migraine." She chuckled.

"So, what're we dealing with here?" He crossed his arms. "The Equalists are suddenly working with benders, the Mark of the Moon's declared war and now there's a link to the Spirit World?"

"It could be the same energy I sensed before I got here. Maybe it's what's stopping me from closing the Spirit Portals."

"We are totally screwed." He ran his hand down his face.

"And that should've been your job." She huffed.

"Huh?" The phone rang and he picked it up. "Hello, this is Head Detective Mako, RCPD."

"Mako, it's Iroh – I got the call from Korra about the evidence she found at the Equalist base."

"Oh, yeah, we were hoping you'd help us figure out what's going on."

"Thing is, I can't be seen at the RCPD – don't wanna let any moles in the force know I'm working with you on the investigation."

"Good point."

"So, meet me at the abandoned building and bring the evidence; I'd like to get a good look at it myself."

"Understood. I'll be there around seven."

* * *

IROH'S EYES felt heavy as he leaned over his coffee table, half-drunk coffee in hand, as he studied a plethora of photos splayed over the table. Each was a picture of the boards Korra had uncovered, each a piece of the puzzle to finding out who the Mark of the Moon are and what they were planning.

A knock came at the door, jerking him out of his thoughts as he quickly turned to it. "Hold on." He went and opened it, seeing Bolin on the other end. "Bolin? What're you doing here?"

"Thought I'd fill you in on what I'd found." He glanced around. "About the moles in the United Forces."

"I'm sure there aren't any in my house." Iroh's eyes drooped.

"Phew, thought I was being followed for a second." Bolin huffed.

"What happened?"

"Well, there was this car that tailed me for a couple a' blocks, but then I realized that it was just this old lady with bad eyesight who got lost on her way home."

"You couldn't have checked in your rearview mirror?"

"I didn't want to let the person following me know that I knew that they're following me!"

"Then how'd you know you were being followed?" Iroh raised his brow.

"I looked in the rearview mirror." Bolin grinned.

Iroh deadpanned. "Goodnight, Bolin." He shut the door.

"Wait!" Bolin wedged his foot in the door. "I've got something important to tell you."

"What is it?"

"Well, I was talking to Chief Beifong and she told me that they found a couple of moles in the summit security detail. They're holding interrogations as we speak."

"So it spreads that far, huh?" Iroh sifted his mind. "Thank you." He began to close the door.

"Wait! What's that?" Bolin pointed at the coffee table behind him.

"Oh, those're plans Korra found in an old Equalist base this afternoon." Iroh let him in.

Bolin walked up to the table, squinting at the papers. "Man, how do people make plans like this anyway?"

"It's a little complicated, but I've been reading through it for several hours now."

"You find anything?"

"It's a cryptic map."

"Of what?"

"Republic City, leading to a base of the Mark of the Moon."

* * *

CRICKETS CHIRPED through the chill night air as Iroh and Bolin stepped out of their vehicle, looking at the forest that stood before them. Looking back, Bolin saw the city lights in the distance, rubbing his shoulders as a white cloud escaped his mouth.

"Man, it's cold today." He shuddered.

"Not really." Iroh walked past.

"Yeah, well you can talk with your firebending." Bolin pouted.

"It's not that – I'm just used to the weather." Iroh shrugged. "Military training – heard of it?"

"Well, they're some things you can't adjust to." Bolin stuffed his hands into his pockets. He took in his surroundings – the moonlight forming patterns through the leaves above. "You sure this's the right place? Thought an evil hideout would be somewhere more ... secret."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I dunno, I just don't think they'd be out in the open like this. I'd pictured a basement of some building or someplace underground."

"Whatever it is, we'll find out tonight." Iroh frowned.

The two traversed the forest, leaving their car parked nearby as they entered the depths and were engulfed in the thickets. Glancing at their vehicle that grew smaller in perspective, Bolin fished out a red button and stabbed it into a tree bark, quickly following Iroh who'd gained some distance. Pulling out a piece of paper, Iroh unrolled it before him, showing a map he'd crafted using the locations he'd deciphered from the evidence he was studying.

Minutes felt like hours to Bolin, the raven-haired man masking his yawns and stretches from his superior as he battled sleep. His vision grew blurry as time passed, his efforts dead set on keeping awake as the forest thickened around them. He looked around groggily and jerked back in surprise as he saw a tree to his left.

"Iroh, look at this!"  
"What?" Iroh came to his side.

"I put this button a few hours earlier." Bolin ripped it off the tree bark. "We're going in a circle."

"How? I've followed the map thoroughly." Iroh looked at the map.

"Hold on a second." Bolin looked around, tension dilated his eyes. "Where's the city?"

"What're you talking about?"

"When I put this button, the city was visible in the distance, but I can't see anything."

Iroh frowned as he looked around, holding a finger to his lips as he walked onward and gestured for Bolin to follow him. Placing the button on the tree, he tailed his superior, scanning the area apprehensively as he led him to a small clearing in the forest. Moving up to the edge of a cliff, Iroh stepped back as he saw a waterfall pouring to a thicker forest below.

"What is it?" Bolin raised his brow.

"The United Forces has detailed maps of Republic City – there isn't supposed to be a waterfall in this forest."

"Ah, c'mon, you just forgot." Bolin chuckled. "... Right?"

"I don't forget anything." Iroh frowned.

Bolin gasped as he looked behind him. "Look out!"

The two jumped out of the way as a kunai dagger shot between them, jamming into a nearby tree. Turning to the bush it came from, Bolin and Iroh readied themselves as five masked men jumped into the area, weaving tubes of water around them as they took their fighting stances.

Bolin struck first, summoning a slab of rock and kicking it at a masked man who flipped out of the way and smacked him with a water whip. Iroh weaved through the lashes of water sent at him, bouncing back and punching balls of flame at them, hitting two of them while the others quickly evaded.

He charged at a masked man, punching strips of fire at him in swift shots that met rushing air as he flipped back. The assailant lunged at him with a right hook and stopped before he made contact. Iroh kicked him in the gut, knocking him onto another masked man who fell against a tree. The two men muttered to each other and turned to Iroh, nodding as they stood up. One of them ran off while the other charged at him.

Bolin summoned a boulder into the air, blocking a rush of water and punched it at a masked man, smashing him into a tree. He jumped away from a kick and threw his arm across, raising a rock that crashed into his side. A masked man sliced at his back with a water whip, making him wince in pain.

Iroh came to his aide, punching out the assailant with a fiery fist and knocking another back with a roundhouse kick. Three masked men arrived and he stepped back, stamping his feet into the ground as he charged lightning around him. He struck each of them, shifting his arms around to cover the area and thrust a bolt into the remaining attacker's midsection.

"More are coming!" Bolin turned around.

He shot his fists up, drawing out a boulder from the earth and punched it at two masked men that ran toward him, smacking one aside while the other dodged. Iroh charged lightning when his body suddenly stiffened and fell on his knees. He grit his teeth as he felt his muscles tightening – straining to turn his head as he saw a masked man approach him and wave his arms like puppeteer.

"Iroh!"

The masked man waved his hand, sending Bolin flying onto a tree as more assailants arrived. He turned to Iroh, seeing him struggle to move as he tightened his hold on him. "You're coming with us."


	4. Sides

THE BRIGHT sun beat down against the thick forest, Bolin's eyes weary as he held them open in his fogging vision. His feet grazed on the grass as he trudged, his numb and tired body littered with bruises lain underneath his tattered clothes. Feeling blood seep from his shoulder, he pushed himself onward, trying to get out of the maze he was in.

"Hello?" His voice echoed. "Is anybody out there?" No response came. "Kinda beaten up here!"

He waited and huffed, mustering one last step before he collapsed on the ground and splayed himself on his back. The sunlight bled into his eyes as he breathed haggardly, his mind racing as he tried to figure what to do next. He sunk back and began to slowly go unconscious, giving into the pain when a voice came:

"Bolin!"  
He groaned as he turned, seeing Naga's familiar large face. "Naga?"

"Bolin, what happened?" Mako dismounted the polar bear dog, helping him up along with Korra.

" I – Pabu!" Bolin smiled as the ferret scurried onto his shoulder. "Where'd you come from?"

"We've been searching for hours, but we couldn't find you, so I had Naga brought over from Air Temple Island." Korra petted the polar bear dog. "Guess nothing beats your nose, huh, girl?"

"What happened here?" Mako looked around at the corpses.

"A bunch a' masked guys attacked us and kidnapped General Iroh." Bolin winced.

"Dammit." Mako frowned.

"What were you two doing here?" Korra raised her brow.

"We were following a secret map Iroh got from the evidence to find the Mark of the Moon's hideout, but then we got stuck in the forest –,"

"Forest? You mean the one over there?" Korra pointed at a forest in the distance.

"No, the forest we're standing in right now." Bolin's brows stitched. "There're trees all around us."

"What trees?" Korra looked around.

"Korra, there're several trees around here." Mako gestured.

"I can't see anything." Korra paced around. "We're standing on a cliff and the forest's down there." She stepped up to a waterfall.

"Huh?" Mako and Bolin synchronised.

"Korra, what're you talking about?" Confusion etched on Mako's face.

"What're __you__ talking about?" Korra frowned.

"Whoa, no need to beat us up to make your point." Bolin jerked back.

"What?"

"Korra, you're in the Avatar State." Mako's face stiffened with worry.

"I am?"

Korra stepped back and looked at her hands, frowning as she felt energy flowing through her as a warmth rose from her centre. She looked around, squinting as she saw small tubes of red energy rising from the ground as she scanned the area. Taking a deep breath, she paced around, seeing more of the aura encompassing the expanse.

"There's more red energy here."

"Red energy?" Mako walked up to her.

"I saw it when I broke down the invisible wall." She turned to him. "It must be causing an illusion of there being a forest."

"How do you know it's an illusion?" Bolin winced.

"It's the same like when I saw an invisible wall when everyone else saw one made of platinum – they're illusions."

"So, what're you saying?" Mako raised his brow.

"I'm saying that the Mark of the Moon is using magic to deceive us."

* * *

"MAGIC? YOU'VE gotta be kidding me." Bolin leaned back, rubbing his aching shoulder.

"We live in a world where people can move things with their mind, where spirits exist, where we travel through portals and fight giant kites and you're confused about magic?" Korra sat on Mako's desk.

"When you put it that way it kinda makes sense." He huffed. "Kinda explains why it seemed like we were going in circles when we were walking in a straight line."

"Understood." Mako nodded, putting down the receiver.

"You've told Ling?" Korra turned to him.

"Yeah, she's gonna launch a search too. Apparently she's found some moles in the summit security detail, so she's careful to keep her team small." He sat down.

"Wait, are they gonna be able to find anything with that illusion over the forest?" Bolin raised his brow. "Only Korra could see through it."

"Then I'm gonna go on the search with them." Korra headed for the door. "Wish me luck."

"Stay safe." Mako stood up.

He moved in to kiss her and she hesitated, shifting and pecking him on the cheek instead. Stepping away from him, she grabbed her coat and headed out of the room, leaving him standing in confusion. Sensing the awkwardness in the air, Bolin cleared his throat, standing up slowly.

"I'm gonna go." She laughed uneasily.

"Yeah." Mako sat back, his voice distracted. Bolin reached for the door handle when the phone rang. "Hello?"

"Head Detective Mako, you're needed down in Forensics."

* * *

MAKO AND Bolin stood before a window in a dim room, looking into a surgical ward that had a man's corpse lain atop a gurney. Bolin winced as he saw its chest cut open, closing his eyes and turning away when a woman entered sporting a shy grin and adjusting her glasses.

"Uh, sorry to have kept you waiting." She walked up to them. "I'm Dr Laura Lee, I'm head of Forensics."

"What did you want to see me for?" Mako turned to her.

"Well, we've been running autopsies on police officers killed during the MoM attacks –,"

"Mom?" Bolin raised his brow.

"Mark of the Moon, weird acronym, huh?" She smiled.

"And what did you find?" Mako frowned.

"Yes, well, um." She adjusted her glasses. "During the autopsy, we found a discrepancy that could reveal the true cause of their deaths."

"True cause?" Mako turned to her.

"See, the only intel we've had about them is that they're waterbenders, but the results suggest that bloodbending was involved as well."

"What did you find?"

"Well, we ran surgery on corpses undergoing initial decay, the fresh stage of decomposition after the heart stops beating and cells begin to break down. Normally blood collects in the lower portions and skin begins to tighten, but with these subjects, blood was clotted in the heart and lungs, slowing down the process. In a living person, during the atrial systole, oxygenated blood flows through the coronary arteries, into the left ventricle and out the aorta, thus the largest blood amount is in the left side of the heart even before initial decay begins. With these subjects, all the blood was found in the right ventricle and since none of them had any cardiac illness prior to their deaths, the only conclusion was that the blood was forced there."

Bolin blinked, processing the information. "Uh, what?"

"The blood in the corpses had collected in the left side of the heart instead of the right side where the largest amount normally is when the person's alive."

"Oh ... I still don't get it."

"This is clear proof that the Mark of the Moon are bloodbenders."

"This is perfect! Where's your report?" Mako looked at her eagerly.

"Heheh, I haven't ... written it yet ... just kinda off the dome right now." Laura rubbed her nape.

"Well, get it written and bring it by my office within the hour." Mako headed for the door.

"Will do, sir." She nodded.

Bolin walked past her and saluting her. "Later."

Laura blushed and turned away from him, gaining a smirk as he walked back to her. Mako grabbed him by the collar. "You already have Opal, you idiot." He dragged him out of the room.

* * *

LING RUBBED her hand against a tree, frowning deeply as she moved the sole of her shoe aside and stomped on the ground, sensing the area around her. She turned to Korra. "So, this is all an illusion?"

"Yes." The Avatar looked around and frowned, her eyes glowing brightly.

"Well, it's some impressive magic trick." Ling snapped the sole back in place. "Guess that's another thing to add to the list of things seismic sense can't detect. Kinda counts as the same as lying since this is all false."

"Yeah." Korra entered the real forest up ahead. "Here's the real forest."

Ling nodded and gestured for her men to follow her, walking uneasily as she warred with herself on what was real and what wasn't. Korra walked ahead of the group, looking around and pointing the way as she navigated the forest. She entered a footpath and stopped, seeing a large vine stretch across it and down into a stream. She went and touched it, sensing spirit energy emanating from it as she searched the area they were in.

"Have you found anything?" Ling's eyes roamed.

"No." Korra sighed. "The forest's empty."

"What?"

"The vines intertwine through every tree in the forest and there's nothing here."

"Well, I think we have to continue this search tomorrow." Ling looked at her wristwatch, seeing that it was 4am. "Heh, it already is." She turned to her men. "You'd better clock out – get some rest. We'll continue at 9am."

Korra breathed in and breathed out slowly, her eyes coming to normal as she calmed herself and looked around again. Huffing in frustration she left with Ling and her men, heading back to the city that peaked over the cliff before the early dawn sky. Red energy exuded from the trees they moved away from.

* * *

KORRA YAWNED loudly as she lugged herself to the front door, grunting as she entered the foyer and leaned against the wall lazily. The bell rang and she shook herself out of her daze, opening for Mako who stood in the door. He looked at her in confusion, her hair dishevelled and her only clothing being a long shirt and shorts.

"Rough morning?" He chuckled. "Came by at 9pm and you weren't home."

"Sorry." She yawned. "The search continued till 4am." She rubbed her eye. "What time is it?"

"9am. I've got something I wanted to tell you abou –,"

"Crap! I'm supposed to meet Ling and continue the search!" She ran back into the apartment, quickly returning as she pulled on a pair of pants and clumsily put on her boots. "Sorry, Mako!"

He watched her run down the hall and he huffed as he picked a boot. "You forgot your –,"

"Thanks!" She grabbed it from him and hurried off.

* * *

IZUMI FROWNED as she read the document, putting it down and adjusting her glasses. "And you're sure about this?"

"It comes directly from RCPD's Forensics team – it is legitimate." Tenzin crossed his legs.

"I hope this means we can get back to our discussions." Tonraq turned to her from the other end of the table in the hall. "Bloodbending is an art that's been banned for years thanks to Katara and the Mark of Moon's use of it proves we have no connection to them. They may align themselves with us, but they're enemies of our custom. We seek peace and unity of the nations, not supremacy."

Izumi huffed and looked at the document, nodding. "The Fire Nation has spent several of its years oppressing the other nations and many after being self-reliant. It's time we ended the cycle of seclusion and worked together for a change. These terrorists want to prevent the signing from happening, proving that we're on the right course for a peaceful, united one earth republic."

"I'm glad to hear that." Tenzin smiled.

"Now that that's behind us." She slid the document to the side. "Let's get back to business."

* * *

KORRA GROWLED as she saw Nobuyuki giving his men instructions in the distance, crossing her arms and walking onward angrily. Mako and Bolin followed her a few feet back, exchanging uneasy looks as a white aura exuded from her body.

"Uh, are you sure you should be getting yourself mad while you're in the Avatar state?" Mako winced.

"Yeah, cuz from the history books, Aang did some pretty crazy things when he got mad." Bolin stepped back.

Korra groaned. "I know." She sighed and returned to normal. "I need it to see where the illusions are, but I'm pissed off that Nobuyuki's heading this investigation as well."

"Well, Ling had no choice. Now that the summit's back on, she couldn't lead the search anymore." Mako turned to the other men. "We'll just have to deal with it."

"I know, I just wish we could get something done without him butting in." Her eyes glowed momentarily. "Anyway, let's keep looking." She walked on. "If Iroh was right, the Mark of the Moon's hideout should be here somewhere."

"Right." He followed her. "So, what __is__ here?"

"Hmm." She looked around the pathway. "Still a forest." She squinted. "There doesn't seem to be an illusion here anywhere."

"Maybe we're looking in the wrong place then." He folded his arms. "If they were hiding out here, they'd definitely wanna keep the place hidden."

"Or this's a trick to throw us off track." She stroked her chin. "They could've foreseen somebody seeing through their illusion, so they left it in different spots so whoever could would follow the energy trail and still head off course."

"So, it'd be a maze either way." He ran his hand down his face.

"Ugh, why can't it be easier for a change!" She groaned. "Let's keep moving."

Bolin followed her then stopped. "Um, aren't we forgetting something?" He pointed at Nobuyuki's men.

Korra groaned again and moved over to the detective, seeing him turn to her and sport an impassive look that irritated her. "I've instructed my men to follow your orders for the time being, Avatar Korra. Since you can see what we can't, we'll need to work together on this."

"Ah, so you agree with me now, huh?" She smirked and crossed her arms.

"I'm not agreeing with anything, I'm simply acknowledging that we need your assistance in the search. The United Forces is a neutral party, so their help is necessary in the Fire Nation's investigations." Nobuyuki deadpanned.

"Fine." She frowned. "Come on."

Following Korra's lead, the men entered the forest to the left of the pathway, forming a uniform line as she walked ahead of them. Moving into a clearing, she turned and nodded to Nobuyuki, allowing him to spread his men around to continue their search. Korra, Mako and Bolin proceeded further – the Avatar's eyes darting around as she scanned the area for the red energy.

"Are you sure you still can't remember anything from the map Iroh made?" Mako looked over a bush.

"He didn't show it to me." Bolin shrugged. "Plus, I was too focussed on not getting lost that I didn't think about it."

"Well, we've already proven that the area you were searching in wasn't the actual forest, so we'd be flying blind either way." Korra stepped over a log.

"Having an idea where to go would help." Mako hunched over footprints, huffing as they were those of a moose lion.

"If only Pabu were here, he's got a great sense of smell, so I bet his nose could lead us to Iroh." Bolin pouted.

"Hey, where's Naga anyway?" Mako turned to Korra.

"I had her go ahead of us. Figured the illusions only altered sight and touch, so she could just smell around for Iroh." She smirked.

"Yeah, probably shoulda asked me before going and doing that." Bolin winced.

"Why?"

"Well, the forest we were in looked, felt, sounded and __smelt__ like a real one, so Naga would get lost too."

"What!? Why didn't you say that?" She growled.

"You ask." He jerked back.

"Son of a b –," Naga's howl met their ears, drawing their attention as she turned to her left. "Naga?"

"Sounds like she found something."

"Let's go find out."

The three ran toward the sound, moving past Nobuyuki who headed in the same direction. Moving past a large tree, the four jerked back as they saw Iroh lie limply on the ground – his clothes tattered and his body covered in wounds. Naga sniffed him curiously, turning to Korra with a worried look on her face.

"Iroh!" Bolin ran up to the man, placing his ear on his chest. "He's still breathing, it doesn't sound good."

"Let's get him out of here." Nobuyuki helped lift him up.

* * *

IROH LAY unconscious on a gurney in a hospital ward, hooked to IVs, an oxygen mask and covered in bandages. Korra, Mako, Bolin and Asami stood around him, looking to the doctor who looked at his file that he flipped through. Checking his readings on the cardiac monitor, he turned to them.

"Well, he's hurt pretty bad, but he should be fine in a few days." He adjusted his glasses.

"What happened exactly?" Asami's brows stitched.

"He had a couple stab wounds, nothing too deep though. The injuries were precisely inflicted to his pressure points, enough to inflict pain without causing too much damage. From my assessment, it was most likely due to violent torture." He frowned. "Whoever did this knew which parts to target."

"They're gonna pay for this." Korra frowned.

"This is really getting outta hand." Mako crossed his arms. "If we hadn't found him when we did, he'd be a goner right now."

"Thankfully he wasn't." The doctor looked at his watch. "I'll be back to check on him later. You can stay, but visiting hours will be over soon."

"Thanks, doc." Asami nodded as he headed out.

Korra huffed as she saw Iroh lay on the gurney. "We need to stop this now." She began to leave.

"Where're you going?" Mako turned to her.

"We've found Iroh and now that we've got the map, we can take the fight to them." She opened the door.

"Shouldn't we wait for back up or something? Maybe get Nobuyuki's men to help us?" Bolin raised a hand.

"We can't have him take the last lead we have. We're going now." She left the room.

"You gonna be okay here, Asami?" Mako stayed behind.

"No, I'm coming with." She fished out a black, form-fitting glove from her handbag, putting it on.

"What's that?" He raised his brow and she clenched her fist, charging fire and electricity through it. "Whoa."

"I've been busy." She smirked.

* * *

KORRA SQUINTED as she looked at an earpiece she held in hand – its protruding antenna increasing her curiosity as she put it in her ear. Bolin and Mako did the same, tapping the devices and drawing a chuckle from Asami who donned hers and pressed a red button on it.

"You hear me now?"

"Whoa!" Korra jerked back.

"Witchcraft." Bolin's face lit up.

"No, they're wireless transceivers." Asami smirked. "Just press the button and you'll be able to talk to anybody within a hundred foot radius."

"You sure it works?" Korra raised her brow.

"Well, it's still in the beta phase, so, heh, this'll be the first field test." She grinned uneasily.

"Let's hope it works then." Korra fished out the map from her pocket, splaying it on the ground. "Okay, so, we'll have to split up into two teams and converge here." She pointed at a clearing.

"Is it a good idea to split up? There're probably some illusions or something around here." Mako stroked his chin.

"I searched around this area already with Ling and if they're hiding around here, it must be underground."

"Okay, then, how're the teams gonna be?" Mako squatted.

"Bolin ..." Korra glanced at Mako. "You'll go with Mako and I'll go with Asami." She ran her finger over a footpath going west of the clearing. "We'll use this footpath while you go east. Whoever reaches there first will tell us on these transceiver thingies. You got it?"

"Got it." Bolin saluted.

"Then let's move." Korra stood up.

The four split up, Bolin calling Pabu to his side as he and Mako took a footpath lined with reeds and bushes. Asami's brows stitched as she watched the men head off, turning to Korra who read the map meticulously. She sensed something was off, but shrugged it off, pocketing her hands and looking around the forest.

* * *

"UH, IS something wrong between you and Korra, bro?" Bolin raised his brow.

"What're you talking about?" Mako frowned.

"I dunno." Bolin thought. "It just seems like she's ... avoiding you or somethin'."

"It's none of your business, Bolin – nothing's wrong."

"Mmkay." Bolin shrugged.

Stepping through a bush, the two entered a clearing in the middle of the forest – both looking around in confusion as they saw nothing around. Spotting Korra and Asami across from them, Mako gestured for them to come over. The women complied and headed over to them, suddenly disappearing into thin air.

"What the?" Bolin gasped.

"Korra!" Mako ran toward the spot they were in, vanishing as well.

"What the – Mako!" He chased after him and jumped away from a strip of fire that shot toward him. "Whoa!" He jerked back as he took in his surroundings. "What in the world?"  
Bolin, Asami, Mako and Korra stood in awe in the middle of a battle, fires strewn around as dragons roamed the sky. Hooded men of the Mark of the Moon fought off men riding the beasts with waterbending, easily defeated as the monsters rained hell upon them.

"Where'd all of this come from?" Asami's mouth fell agape.

"Whatever it is, I'm stopping it!" Korra frowned.

Shooting into the air, she wove air and fire around her, sending them in a strip at the men on the ground when a dragon flew in her way, taking the blast point-blank. The smoke cleared and she jerked back in surprise as the beast was unscathed, its rider turning to her nonchalantly. The creature was clad in heavy golden armour, it's head adorned with the symbol of a red dragon on fire and the man was draped in a thick cloak.

"Do not interfere." He looked at her blankly, turning to another rider who tossed an item to him.

"The heck I'm gonna do that!" Korra propelled herself toward him with fire.

A loud ringing blared in her ears and she screamed, falling to the ground alongside Mako, Bolin and Asami who fell unconscious.

* * *

BLINDING LIGHT bled into Korra's eyes as she struggled to her feet – looking around to her friends as they slowly roused. The four surveyed the area, seeing mutilated corpses of the Mark of the Moon's men splayed on the ground, some burned and others dismembered. Bolin walked onward and stepped into a depression, jerking back as he realised it was the footprint of a dragon.

"What the hell's going on here?" Asami frowned.

"Weren't __we__ supposed to storm this place?" Mako walked around a corpse.

"Looks like someone beat us to the punch." Bolin moved past him.

Asami turned to Korra – worry etching on her face as she saw her rub her head in pain. "Are you okay?"

"I dunno." She winced. "Whatever that guy did to me has left me with a headache."

"What he did to __all__ of us." Asami crossed her arms. "We're really in trouble here."

"Yeah. First an army of bloodbenders, magic, illusions, dragons then Mr Brainblast – I think we're gonna need an extra Avatar." Bolin raked his hair.

"This Avatar's doing fine." Korra growled at him.

"So, what do we do now?" Mako raised his brow.

"The men who attacked this place stole something and we need to find out what it is." Korra stroked her chin.

"How do you know that?"

"The man who knocked us out received this metal object from another dragon rider." She combed her memory. "I'm a lil fuzzy on it, but it was golden."

"Well, we'll need to search for clues and figure out what it was."

"It's a good thing they didn't steal my Pabu from me." Bolin petted the ferret.

Traversing the area, the four moved over the corpses and walked up to a small building in the centre of the clearing – stepping through the destroyed doors and into the dim foyer. The edifice tapered into darkness, prompting the Avatar to create a fireball to illuminate their path.

More corpses littered the floor, some smashed into the wall and others contorted and steaming with burn marks. Cringing at the sight, Bolin followed the others hastily as they went through the hall and turned to their right. Korra jerked back as part of the wall to her right caved in, letting light seep through that led into another room.

Stepping over the rubble, the four entered another large room that held an office table that had been flipped over and waterbending and bloodbending scrolls that were ripped apart strewn over the floor. Korra stepped forward and looked around, her eyes glowing as she inspected the area while the others flipped things over. Something caught her eye in the corner of the room, walking over and picked it up.

"Hey, guys, check this out." Korra turned to the others.

"What's that?"

"I dunno." She fingered the box she held, looking at the runes that adorned it.

"Those're Norn runes." Mako took it from her. "What? We're fighting Norwegian wizards or something?"

"Well, it's empty." She took it back, opening it and revealing a triangle shaped depression in the centre.

"We have to take this to Laura at Forensics – she'd probably figure out what was inside this thing." Mako frowned.

* * *

IROH ROUSED slowly in the early morning, the dawning day illuminating the room in a dim grey tone. Shifting to the side of the bed, he stretched out and looked at his arm, seeing the stitches that lined it. He turned and saw Asami lay beside him – smiling as he soaked in her beautiful face as she was asleep.

He got out of bed and dressed up, leaving her and traversing the halls of the lavish penthouse as he headed into drawing room. Manoeuvring through the stacks of paper and boards that were arranged, he moved up to a design of the Spirit Suit that'd undergone adjustment. He stroked his chin as he studied the plans, squinting when Asami startled him.

"Hey there." She smiled, leaning against the doorway.

"Oh, you're awake?" He turned to her.

"Can't sleep?" She walked up to him.

"No, it's just habit." He stepped back as she looked at the board. "Came to look at the design again."

"Well, it's not going anywhere." She chuckled and pecked him. "You need to calm down. Rest and let your wounds heal."

"I will."

Her smile widened and she kissed him again, heading for the door. "Come back to bed when you're ready."

"Sure." He nodded and she left. He crossed his arms and looked at the designs, frowning as he sifted his mind.

* * *

CHANTS FILLED the still air of the dark hall – masked hooded men kneeling before paintings of Ying and Yang lining the walls occupying the room and leading to a cloaked man bowing before a statue of a man clad in a similar way with red glowing eyes. The heavy doors grazing against the floor cut through the low sounds, another one of their members entering and walking over to the man at the end of the room.

"Anarchist, the United Forces General's done his job well." He held out a file. "These are the designs for the mechatanks."

The Anarchist smirked and rose to his feet. "Excellent." He received the file. "With this and the summit security plans, nothing will stand in our way now."


	5. Fear

"AH, FRIENDS, it's been a while!" Varrick walked towards Korra, Mako and Bolin with his arms outstretched and hugged Korra.

"It's good to see you, Varrick." She received the gesture awkwardly. With a small smile, she handed him the case. "So, you think you've got time to check this out?"

"What's this?" He opened it, his brow raised in confusion. "It's empty."

"We found this on Wednesday when we searched the Mark of the Moon's hide out." Mako walked around Varrick, taking a seat beside the window where the light sprinkled in. "We thought you could figure out what it meant since its Norse."

"Glad you still come to me for this kinda stuff." The inventor lifted the box above his head, squinting at its markings.

"So, you've got any idea?" Bolin sat down along with Korra. He noticed Mako frown slightly as she avoided him, deciding to pretend he didn't sense the tension.

"Mmm-hmm ... hmm ..." Varrick frowned. "Ah-ha! It's got Norse markings on it!" He grinned.

"That's what we just said!" A vein popped on Korra's forehead.

"Let me have a look at it." Ju-Li, having set some tea on the office desk, walked up to them. She took the case from Varrick and studied it. Her eyes thinned as she read, a glow of curiosity gleaming in them as she frowned. "It says 'Key of Sethos'."

"Sethos?" Mako sat up, his brows crossing as he looked to her.

"That's what it says." She opened the lid and looked inside, the triangular depression within spiking her interest. "Was it empty when you got it?" She turned to Korra.

"Well, no. There were these dragon riders who beat us to the punch and stole something and we thought whatever it was must've been in there." Korra pointed at the box.

"Whatever it is could be part of a collection of objects meant to open something." Ju-Li closed it. "I could run some tests on it to at least figure out what the object inside was made of, but I can't promise any more than that."

"We'd be grateful." Korra stood up and smiled slightly.

"Let us know if you find anything." Mako rose to his feet and headed for the door.

"Sure thing." Varrick leaned against the table and sipped some tea.

Mako, Korra and Bolin exited the room. Closing the door behind him, Mako watched as the other two walked ahead of him. He noticed Korra's step being slightly hurried and frowned a little as he walked up to her.

"Hey, Korra, is something wrong?" He held her shoulder and halted her.

"No, I'm fine." She shook her shoulder and huffed, notably avoiding eye contact.

"... Okay."

"Good." She followed Bolin down the hall.

* * *

THE SOUNDS of chatter and camera flashes flooded in as Korra entered City Hall. To her right and left were several civilians, Air acolytes and delegates from the four nations seated in rows. She looked over and smiled as she walked to where Varrick, Ju-Li, Mako, Bolin, Asami, Pema and her family sat and sent waves their way.

"We're glad to see you, Korra. We thought you wouldn't make it." Pema smiled warmly as she sat down at the end of the chair.

"Yeah, I kinda had a rough night yesterday, but I'm fine now." She rubbed her nape.

"I can't believe we're finally seeing a time when the four nations would be truly united." Asami beamed as she looked to the podium at the front stage. "I wish my father were here to see this."

"I'm sure he would be. Too bad there aren't any Mechatanks in the security detail, because that would've rocked." Varrick crossed his arms.

"Doubt there'd be any need for them anyway. RCPD and the United Forces have covered every square inch of this building; there's no way we'd be attacked." Mako turned to him then looked to the front.

"Ooh, they're starting now!" Bolin grinned.

President Raiko, Fire Lord Izumi, Chief Tonraq, the president of the Earth Republic and Tenzin all sat around the table at the stage. Tenzin's eyes roamed over the people presiding and he stopped when he saw his friends and family. A man walked up to the podium and cleared his throat as the hall was filled.

"Delegates and distinguished guests, I'd like to welcome you to this great and momentous occasion in our history. Today marks the end of the division between the Earth, Air, Water and Fire Nations and will dawn an era of unity for a united earth." He looked around at the sea of reporters and the assembly, gesturing to the delegates as he called them forth. "The president of Republic City, president of the Earth Republic, the leader of the Air Nation, the Fire Lord and Chief of the Water Tribe, please rise." He turned to them as they stood and shifted back to the audience. "Before you is the final draft of the Armed Forces agreement that has been negotiated by you and your representatives. By signing its pages, you will be committing your respective countries to abide by the terms as stipulated by international law. President Raiko, I believe you go first."

Korra's eyes narrowed as she watched the president move up to the podium and sign the document. Asami placed a hand on hers, squeezing it gently. "Relax, Korra, we're gonna be fine. We're safe here."

"Thanks, but I dunno." She huffed. "I can't shake the feeling that something bad is gonna happen."

"There's no way that's happening." Asami offered a smiled. "Ling and the United Forces have this place heavily guarded – no one can attack this place."

Releasing a drawn out sigh, Korra glanced at her then looked around. "I hope you're right."

Applause spread through the hall as Tenzin moved away from the podium, allowing for the speaker to move up to the microphone. "And now Chief Tanroq."

The man nodded and smiled for the cameras as he stepped away from the table and moved up to the document laid upon the podium. Looking down at the papers with two signatures already in place, he reached forth and grabbed the pen. Korra looked around the building, almost automatically as unease welled within her. She turned to her left and frowned as she saw a guard talking to his fellow officer repeatedly.

Looking in the direction they were facing, she turned and frowned as another guard headed for the podium. The man raised his arm as he approached a Fire Nation guard and Korra shot up to her feet. "Everybody down!"

The guard drove an icicle through the firebender's chest and caused a panic as screams filled the hall. Guards from all over the building converged on the mole when others amongst them suddenly attacked, each using waterbending. Korra ran toward the fray when her body suddenly buckled and she fell over.

Gritting her teeth, she turned around and saw an Earth Republic guard bloodbending her. "You're not going anywhere, Avatar."

Clenching her eyes shut, Korra went into the Avatar State and blasted him away with a gust of air. Delegates in the room began to panic, some hiding behind their chairs while others ran for the doors. "Everybody, get out of the building!" Korra ordered.

"You heard the Avatar, get moving!" Ling gestured for the doors, sending some of her men to control the crowd as she stamped her foot on the floor and knocked a waterbending Fire Nation guard off his feet with a slab of rock.

Mako sent fireballs at two guards and helped Asami run past him as Bolin assisted Tenzin's family evacuate. He charged lightning and fired at a guard trying to attack Tenzin who fought off men trying to attack the Earth Republican President. Korra ran down the aisle and leapt forth in a rotating motion, sending a wave of water that knocked a guard against a wall.

Nobuyuki came to Fire Lord Izumi's side and walked her toward the door when the windows of the hall shattered and United Forces soldiers crashed into the room. A battle ensued and Korra looked around as the new entrants attacked the delegates who stampeded to the doors behind her. Raising her fist before her, she thrust her hands apart and summoned several rocks that blocked the windows and smashed into the ceiling.

"We need to get outta here!" She created a whirlpool of air around her waist and levitated, sending waves that knocked soldiers against the wall.

"Tonraq, get the delegates out of here, I'll hold them off!" Tenzin blasted a guard near him with a gust of air.

"I can help you."

"They're more important right n –," Tenzin fell to his knees.

"Tenzi –,"

The two men's bodies fell like logs as a hooded man stepped onto the platform. Raising his arms around, he bloodbent several of the delegates on the stage and manacled them to the floor. He looked toward Korra, revealing his black mask with white markings to her as he stepped forward.

"Dad!" She ran toward Tonraq.

"No, Korra, get the civilians out of here!" He strained as he looked up at her.

She swiped her arm and sent a strip of air at the masked man. Summoning a wall of ice, he shielded himself from the attack and raised his arms, levitating the delegates on the stage and pinned them on the walls around him.

"Korra, the civilians have been evacuated – if we stay here, we'd endanger the lives of the delegates." Mako grabbed her arm and she didn't respond. She looked onward, shaking her head slightly as her fists clenched. "Korra!"

"Right, right." She reluctantly ran out of the building with him and Ling who knocked a United Forces soldier aside with a metal whip.

* * *

POLICE SIRENS rung in Korra's ears as she, Mako, Asami, Ling and Bolin massed around schematics of the building splayed atop the hood of a police car. "They've taken all vantage points on the east, south and west entrances." Ling frowned. "Leaving us only with the north entrance ..."

"Which is the main entrance." Korra huffed as she stepped back. "I can't believe this just happened."

"The people who attacked were all part of the security detail for the summit – how's that possible?" Mako turned to Ling.

"Well, we had found some moles, but we didn't think it ran that deep."

"But some of the men waterbending were from the Fire Nation; how'd they hide that from the commanders?"

"I guess they were trying not to be racist?" Bolin smiled uneasily.

"No, this has Mark of the Moon written all over it." Korra sifted her mind. "Where's General Iroh?"

"He's interrogating his men to see if they're any moles among us out here in case they launch another attack." Ling crossed her arms.

"How much time do we have left?"

"About an hour." Ling looked to her wristwatch.

"Then I'm going in there." Korra headed for the building.

"Korra." Mako followed her as she ignored him. "Korra!"

Iroh walked past the police tape around the building and bumped into her. "Whoa, Korra, where're you going?"

"I'm gonna save my dad."

"Korra, that's dangerous; we can't barter the lives of President Raiko and Fire Lord Izumi –it's insane." Iroh held her shoulders and looked as Mako came up to them. "Man, talk to her."

"Korra, I know it's difficult, but we can't negotiate with terrorists; there's always an end game."

"If we wait any longer, they could start killing people in there! I'm not gonna let that happen." Korra broke out of Iroh's hold and headed toward the building.

"But, what're you gonna do once you're inside?

"She's gonna find a way to save the delegates in there before the Anarchist kills them." President Raiko came up to them and interrupted Korra.

"President Raiko." Mako stepped back in surprise. "What're you –,"

"We're going to negotiate for the other delegates." Fire Lord Izumi frowned. "I know our lives are on the line, but we cannot risk those of others to save our own."

"Then I'm coming with you." Determination etched on Iroh's face. "You're gonna need protection in there."

"I'll come to." Mako's brows stitched.

"No, you should stay out here; if they're too many people in there, they'd think we're double-crossing them." Korra held his shoulder and smiled at him. "I'll be fine."

Mako thought hard then nodded. "Okay."

"Talk to Ling."

"I will."

Sharing looks with Iroh, President Raiko and Fire Lord Izumi, Korra slashed the police tape with a strip of fire and entered the building.

* * *

THE ANARCHIST paced around the stage in the building when the doors flew off their hinges and hit the men standing guard. Turning around, he moved toward the edge of the platform as Korra, Iroh, President Raiko and Fire Lord Izumi entered. "Ah, the Avatar. I thought your impartiality and disconnection from earthly things would make you sacrifice your father for the greater good. Good thing I was wrong."

"Okay, you've got me, now release my father." Korra frowned.

"Oh, you mean him?" He raised his arm and drew Tonraq off the wall and to his side. "That wasn't the deal."

"Well, what else could your plan have been? I'm here, so take me and let him go."

"I wanted President Raiko and Fire Lord Izumi."

"We're not gonna let that happen, Anarchist." Iroh stepped forward.

"It's __the__ Anarchist and I think I'll pass on that idea." He flicked his hand, flinging Tonraq back onto the wall. "You've already brought the President and the Fire Lord here, so what'll stop us from just taking them with us?"

"We have men surrounding the building and if they hear anything they don't like, they'll storm in here and kill you all." Izumi said.

"You wouldn't attack us and risk the lives of all the delegates here. With the mere flick of the wrist, I could snap their necks and disappear without a trace; even you can't stop the magic we possess." The Anarchist wiggled his hand.

"You won't get away with this." Fire Lord Izumi frowned.

The Anarchist chuckled and leaned against the podium. "Did you know that you three are alike? President Raiko, Fire Lord Izumi, Avatar Korra, you all share traits when you seem so different."

"You're gonna psychoanalyse us?" Korra's brow rose.

"Fear; you are all afraid of change and that is what we are trying to accomplish." The Anarchist gestured to the delegates on the walls. "You all fear change. The Water, Earth, Fire and Air Nations have been divided for centuries and even with your false attempt at unity, you still evade change. The nations will remain separate and your names will remain the same. You will share arms and remain sovereign and you will masquerade as ambassadors of hope and change when all of you are cowards." He turned to Korra. "And the one most afraid is you, Avatar Korra."

Bumi, Opal, Kai and Jinora snuck into the halls via different windows, each sneaking up to guards on the upper platforms of the hall. Grabbing hold of a guard's neck, Bumi knocked the man out and pulled him aside. He looked up and saw the three Airbenders move around the building and nodded as he went on.

"As the bridge between the Spirit World and Physical World, you are called to be impartial and to do what's best for the world at large, but that is just a mask. You are afraid of action, afraid of truly picking a side to fight for what you believe in and when you try, you then realize how weak you are. Unaloq, Amon, Zaheer and Kuvira all sought power and you were afraid to see someone rise above you." The Anarchist walked toward her. "And in all the years I've studied you, I've known that's the driving force of your actions and you ... are never this patient."

He raised his arm and clenched his fist, causing Tonraq to grunt and fall limply off the wall. "Dad!" Korra screamed in anger.

Entering the Avatar State, she threw a fireball at the Anarchist and he swerved out of the way. Shifting her arms around, she channelled air around her when Iroh suddenly grabbed her back and charged electricity into her spine. Convulsing from the shock, Korra fell limply on the floor.

"I-Iroh ... what're you doing?"

Iroh looked down at her, his eyes blurred as he stepped back and turned to Raiko and Izumi. "What's going on here?" The Fire Lord's eyes dilated in shock.

"The reckoning." The Anarchist walked up to Korra. He raised his arms up and lifted her body up like a puppet master, putting her in a kneeling position as she grunted and was forced to look up at him.

Kai punched a guard out and moved toward the railing of the upper platform. "What's happening?" He looked down at Korra.

"Oh no, Korra's in trouble." Jinora walked up to him.

"We have to save her."

"Wait, we need to stick to the plan –,"

"But he could kill her!" Kai tried to whisper.

"Let go of her!" Fire Lord Izumi thrust a fireball at the Anarchist and he dodged it.

"Know your place." He levitated her and tossed her aside.

"Izumi!" Raiko went to her side and picked her up.

The Anarchist cocked his head as he looked at Korra and held her face. "If only I could take away your bending and make you live out your worst fear. To be powerless, helpless; normal like the many people subjugated in the Water Tribe." He gripped her hair and pulled it, enjoying her scream as he held her up and yanked it. "But that would no longer serve its purpose; the message has already been sent." He lifted his arm and the veins on her neck began to pulsate, slowly suffocating her as he began to make a fist.

A strip of fire shot near his head and he jumped out of the way, releasing Korra from his grasp as he looked at the end of the hall where Mako, Ling and the metalbender police stood. "You're through, Anarchist."

"Far from it." The man rose to his feet. "Take them!" He looked around and gasped as his men lay unconscious on the upper platforms.

"Yeah, that's not gonna happen." Jinora smirked.

"Look who's scared now!" Bumi sent a gust at the Anarchist who dodged the attack.

Looking around the room, the Anarchist watched as the metalbender police massed around him and blocked all exits. He lowered his head, seemingly in defeat when he gripped a necklace he wore and crushed its ornament. The rocks blocking the windows shattered as ice burst through them and hooded men of the Mark of the Moon stormed into the room and engaged the officers.

Moving through the fray, Mako ran up to Korra and lifted her. "Let's get out of here."

"This way." Ling came to Raiko and Izumi, leading them toward the exit when hooded men got in her way.

Mako ran to help Ling when a fireball crashed before him and he flipped back. He frowned and watched through the flames as Iroh stepped forth and looked down upon him. "Iroh?" He set Korra on the floor.

Iroh thrust a strip of fire at Mako who dissipated the blast, keeping the fires away from Korra. "Iroh, what're you doing?" The General shot a fireball at him and he dodged. "Well, guess you don't wanna talk."

Mako sent out flames at him in three punches and a kick, each aimed at Iroh's midsection. Iroh dodged the attacks with swift sidesteps and sent a blast at him in an uppercut that nearly took the detective's head off as he flipped back and barely dodged. Iroh gave Mako a left hook and kneed him in the chin.

Ling smacked two hooded men aside and flipped back as strips of water came up ahead. Sending her metal whips onward, she wrapped them around two men and smacked them against each other. Hearing footsteps behind her, she turned quickly and chuckled as a man held his hands up to her and sweated.

"Heh, guess this works." She smirked as she backhanded him and dusted the Spirit Suit she wore.

Men of the Mark of the Moon flailed the metalbender police officers like paperweights as they bloodbent their bodies and flung them about. Ju-Li walked toward them in a mechatank and smacked one of them aside. She turned to the rest and fired an electric ball at them that electrocuted them and knocked them out.

"See, Ju-Li? I told you the mechs were impervious to bloodbending." Varrick spoke on the radio.

"You are a genius." She grinned.

"How else do you think I made my company?" He laughed maniacally. "Now go and take them down!"

"Totally." She ran onward and shot a strip of fire at three hooded men who attacked police officers.

Korra's eyes fluttered open as her body felt numb. She watched as Mako fought Iroh, failing to speak as she saw him get overpowered. Mako punched at Iroh and the General dodged, grabbed his wrist and pulled him forward, slamming him against the floor and pinned him down. He raised his hand to electrocute him when a rock suddenly smashed against his face and knocked him back.

"Get off my brother!" Bolin ran up to him.

Stomping his foot on the floor, he flipped forward and drew a rock from the floor, thrusting it forward as he landed and flung it onto Iroh. Destroying the projectile with a strip of fire, Iroh took a stance and watched as Mako got to his feet and stood beside Bolin.

"I dunno what you ate earlier, but I think you need more fibre!" Bolin smacked his foot on the floor and erected a rock that knocked Iroh back.

"Really?" Mako raised his brow.

"What?"

Shaking his head, Mako ran toward Iroh and shot a jet of fire and lightning at the General. Dodging the attacks, Iroh sent a strip of flame at the two in a spin kick. The brothers evaded the attack and flanked him; Mako thrusting a fireball into his midsection and Bolin creating a rock that hit him in the back and flung him toward Korra who punched him out and looked at him as he lay unconscious.

"That's for stabbing me in the back." She massaged her wrist.

Two hooded men came up behind Mako and Bolin and bloodbent them, causing them to kneel when Ling quickly came to the rescue and smacked them away with a metal whip and turned to Korra. "We've got the situation handled, Korra, go and take down the Anarchist."

"You didn't have to ask." She smirked and slammed her fists together, charging fire through them.

The Anarchist looked around and frowned as his men fell at the hands of the metalbender police, Ju-Li and the Airbenders. Sidestepping from a metal whip, he pulled the attacking officer and smacked him aside with a punch to the face. He raised his arm and summoned President Raiko to his side as he was being pulled away by police officers.

He turned and saw Korra flying toward him with fire bursting from her hands. He stepped back. "Oh, this isn't over."

The wall behind him exploded and a large tube of water burst in, smacking the Avatar aside and wrapped around him, pulling out of a gaping hole that now stood at the end of the hall. Shielding herself from the falling debris, Ling ran toward the Anarchist as he was raised into the air and moved up to the destroyed wall. She looked up and saw him being pulled into a black airship.

She gasped as the aircraft fired a missile at them. "Incoming!"

The ballistic smashed through the ceiling and exploded, engulfing the entire building and everyone in it.


	6. Counterattack

ROCKS SPRAYED about as the wall in City Hall exploded to bits. Shielding herself from the falling debris, Ling ran toward the Anarchist as he was raised into the air by the tube of water and moved up to the gaping hole. She looked up and saw him being pulled into a black airship that hovered over the building.

She gasped as the aircraft fired a missile at them. "Incoming!"

The ballistic smashed through the ceiling and exploded, engulfing the entire building and everyone in it. Looking at the billow of smoke that rose from the edifice below, the Anarchist pushed Raiko into the hands of two hooded men as they stood on the airship's main concourse.

"You're not gonna get away with this." Raiko glowered as he squirmed.

"Oh, I have a lot in store for you, Raiko." The Anarchist spoke blackly. "This is according to plan."

* * *

LING'S EYES narrowed as she looked at the officers and paramedics roaming the rubble of City Hall. Moving toward Mako, Bolin and Korra who stood by Asami whose arm was being bandaged; she exhaled and crossed her arms. "Man, this's a pain in the ass; the guy leaves the United Forces in shambles, wrecks City Hall and takes the president hostage."

"We will stop him." Korra turned to her with a look of determination. Seeing the paramedic leave, she turned to Asami who stood up and rubbed her shoulder. "You gonna be okay?"

"Yeah." She grimaced. "Lucky I didn't get any glass in me like you did."

"Ah well, I'll live." Korra looked at her leg and gave a cheeky smile.

"So, where's Iroh?" Mako turned to Ling.

"He's been looked at by some meds – says he doesn't remember what happened to him." She frowned.

"Could he have been brainwashed?" Bolin asked.

"I dunno."

"It would explain the dead look in his eye. It was as if he was unconscious or something." Korra scowled.

"If that's the case, then I'll need your help in clearing the programming. He attacked you for a reason and we need to find out if he indeed was working with the Anarchists." Ling began to leave and Korra nodded.

"I'll go check on the men we arrested – they've gotta know what's going on here." Mako headed for his car.

* * *

PITCH BLACK cleared to blinding light as the thick bag was pulled off a man's head. He looked to his right and groaned as his hands were manacled to a chair with chains. Nobuyuki sat before him – a table in between the two with a bright light above – placing a paper down in a dim room.

"Look, let me make this clear and simple; you're screwed." He opened the document and leaned back. "RCPD's been tailing you guys back when you called yourselves the Equalists and your leader Amon, we took care of him. Whoever this Anarchist guy is, he's going down just like he did." He closed the dossier and put it aside. "The crimes you've committed warrant the death penalty and that's non-negotiable unless you tell us what we need to know."

Ling and Mako watched the interrogation through a window in the opposite room. Ling stitched her brows and folded her arms before her as the man in the chair looked at Nobuyuki blankly. "Sixth one this month and still no luck – I wonder if we can break him."

"The others didn't talk?"

"None. They all kill themselves before we can get peep from them."

"You check for –,"

"No pills in their teeth or any other foreign substances have ever been found." Ling cut him off.

"Then what about –,"

"Wait, I think we've got something different with this guy." Ling gave a bug-eyed look.

The man tied to the chair exhaled and frowned at Nobuyuki. "Listen here and listen well; your days are numbered – all of yours – and we will succeed."

"Coming from a man tied to a chair? That sounds like desperation." Nobuyuki raised a sly brow. "Look, you can walk away from this; we've got bigger fish to fry and that's the guy who's paying you. What will it take? Money? Immunity? Police protection?"

"We don't need such futile things." The man's eyes darkened with hostility.

"None of 'em? So you want to do this the hard way?" Nobuyuki cocked his neck.

"The is no other way. We serve a god who will bring waterbender supremacy."

"A god? So, you're extremists then? Who's he then? Or should I say she? The Flying Spaghetti Monster?" Nobuyuki chortled.

"Oh no, he's a god beyond all gods – the moon."

An aggravated exhale came from Nobuyuki and he massaged the bridge of his nose. "Look, I don't have time for a deluded sermon from some religious nut." He slammed his fist on the table. "Many of my men died out there and City Hall's in ruins, now you're gonna talk or I'm gonna break every bone in your body till you do." The manacled man's face fell low and he laughed ominously. "You think this is funny?" A quiet chant came from him.

"What is he doing?" Mako moved toward the window.

"He's about to kill himself." Ling turned to a man who stood behind her in the doorway. "Put him down!" The Mark of the Moon member shot his head up to the ceiling and his body began to convulse. "Hurry up in there!"

Two men ran into the interrogation room and held the bound man down. A third man, quickly placing a tray on the table, uncovered a syringe and injected the man's arm. Stepping back, the three officers watched as the Mark of the Moon member slowly stilled. Nobuyuki huffed in relief when he heard the sound of flesh tearing.

"What the hell?"

Veins bulged and ran up the unconscious man's neck as his body began to tremble again. Weak, sharp intakes of air came from him as his eyes widened and his mouth fell open, releasing trickles of crimson that spread down to his shoulders. Blood drenched the man's face and shirt as he bled profusely.

"Dammit, somebody get a bucket." Ling groaned and leaned against the window. Darting her eyes around, she kicked a table over and screamed angrily.

"What the hell just happened?" Mako's mouth fell agape.

"These bastards each bloodbent themselves to death and nothing's worked to stop them. They didn't use any weapons or drugs or anything and now they're able to choke themselves while unconscious." Ling shook her head and turned to him. "Man, if Korra doesn't find anything we're screwed."

* * *

KORRA, MAKO, Ling, Bolin and Asami stood around Iroh who lay unconscious in a hospital ward in the middle of the afternoon. Looking at the cardiac monitor, Asami turned to Korra then Iroh with pursed lips. "So, what happened?"

"I healed his mind with some spirit water, but I couldn't find out whether he did what he did knowingly or not." Korra looked onward grimly. "All I could see was the base he was taken to when the Mark of the Moon captured him."

"And where is that?" Tension etched on Ling's face.

"It wasn't very clear, but I know it was in the city outskirts."

"We'll have to do a search as soon as possible then." Ling looked to her wristwatch. "Meet me at 4pm at the precinct and we'll take a team to raid the place. If those men are there, we'll take them down."

"Understood." Mako nodded to her as she left.

Korra stretched out. "Well, I'm gonna go back home – been a long day." She headed for the door.

"I'll just wait here till he wakes up." Asami moved over to a seat.

"See ya then." Korra left the room with the others.

Casting a sullen look at Iroh, Asami walked up to the window and leaned against the sill. She looked out at the afternoon lit cityscape and checked her watch.

* * *

IROH OPENED his eyes slowly with a groan as he looked around the room. Spurred out of drowsiness, Asami – who sat on a chair at his bedside – quickly turned to him as he roused. The man grunted and pushed himself up, taking in the unwelcomed light as he rubbed his face.

"Ugh, where am I?"

"At the hospital. Korra did a mind sweep in case you had any programming." She shifted her seat so she'd face him.

"And did she find any?"

"You tell me." Her eyes thinned. "What happened back there? You were captured, we found you in the forest, you sleep with me and then you attack Korra at the summit."

"I ... I remember that."

"So, you weren't under mind control?" Her expression blackened.

"No, I." He sighed. "I didn't have full control over myself."

"Full control?"

He tried to speak then cut himself off. He darted his eyes around and sat up. "The last thing I remember when I came to was waking up in the hospital. I was completely lost and couldn't recall what happened after I'd entered the forest with Bolin, so I asked you out to dinner."

"That was the first thing that came to mind?" Her brow curved.

"That was the urge that came to me. It felt like I was on autopilot and everything I did from then on seemed like something else was in control. I couldn't do anything about it." He exhaled. "I felt the need to get closer to you, to steal your new mech suit designs and to give the summit security plans to the men who captured me."

"So you __were__ under mind control."

"Yes." He nodded.

"So, all this time they were using you to get close to me so they could take more of my inventions and jeopardize the summit. I can't believe this. I'm so sorry, Iroh; it must've been terrible."

"Not all of it was."

"What do you mean?"

"Even though I was programmed, I could still see what I was doing and I enjoyed the time I spent with you. Not all of it was mind control." A smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

"Oh." Her expression warmed.

"So, maybe we could start over? After this is all settled, maybe we could try again."

"I'd like that." She smiled at him.

"And maybe not at a hospital." He sat back. "Been in here way too often."

"It's not so bad." She shrugged.

"Yes, it is." He sank back into the pillow and she chuckled.

* * *

KORRA RAISED her head to the sky and gave a languid sigh. "Man, what time is it?"

"It's six pm." Asami cracked her neck as she looked at trees that lined the left of their path along a cliff-side.

"Ah, shit – dammit, why can't this be any easier?" Korra groaned.

"Well, at least the view's nice." Bolin offered a smile and gestured up ahead to a forest down below that peaked behind a waterfall they moved toward.

"Yeah, thanks, that helps a lot." She deadpanned and he laughed uneasily.

"Is there any energy around this area?" Mako scoped the area.

"If there was I'd tell you! Why do you think I'm so tired!?" Korra shot a murderous glare at him with her bright glowing eyes.

"Oh, sorry." He raised his hands in defeat.

"We should be able to find something – I mean; we have the RCPD with us." Bolin stretched his back.

"Well, it's not made a real difference." Korra bent over and clenched her fists. "Why did I think this'd work? They're probably miles away from the city with their ship. Who knows what they've done with Raiko; he may be dead already."

"They wouldn't kill him. If they wanted to, they wouldn't take him." Mako gave her look of reassurance.

"Dead or alive, this is a bust." Korra scowled.

Asami sifted her mind, fighting off negative thoughts when something caught her eye. "Hey guys, check this out."

Following Asami into the forest, the trio maneuvered through the trees and ended up in the centre of an opening. Korra's eyes thinned as she looked around in curiosity as she and others moved around and took in the new area. Pieces of wood and tree stumps littered their decimated surroundings as carnage lay all over. Asami moved over to a fallen tree and squatted to study it.

"What happened here?" Korra touched a burnt leaf to her right. Moving onward, she stopped and frowned as a line of ash created a trail ahead.

"It looks like the scene of a battle." Mako walked around the edge of the nearly circular damage and saw a broken tree that was bent over. He squinted as he looked at its splintered wood and tattered leaves. "Looks like an airbender was here."

"And a mechatank." Asami stood up and looked at Bolin who studied some mud on the ground. "There're footprints all over."

"And a whole lotta water on the ground." Bolin pointed to a puddle before him. "A waterbender?"

"It must've been the Mark of the Moon." Korra pointed at the burnt path before her. "Don't know how to explain this though." She knelt and touched a large footprint on the ground. It was shaped like that of a tall man with strangely long toes.

"What the hell happened here?" Mako squinted.

"It's like a firebender was here." Asami squatted beside Korra.

"No." Korra rubbed dirt between her fingers. "This wasn't a firebender. It wasn't even a human."

"Then what was it?" Bolin looked to her, fighting his worry.

"Your death, Avatar!" A loud voice came from behind them.

The four quickly turned and assumed fighting stances. Five mechatanks stood around them, each encircling the damaged area and cutting off escape routes. Their bodies were light grey and streamlined with lean builds that stood around eight feet tall. "Oh, crap, we're surrounded!" Bolin looked around.

"Where'd these mechs come from?" Asami's brow stitched.

"It must be from the designs the Mark of the Moon stole." Mako tensed up.

"But these aren't my designs – they couldn't have made anything from the ones they stole." Asami turned to him. "These are different mechs."

"Different mechs?" He scowled.

"Someone's making more." Korra's eyes dilated.

The androids fired electricity balls at the four and they evaded the attack. Bolin and Korra jumped back and slammed their fists on the ground, sending up a line of rocks that spread out and hit the robots. The mechatanks stumbled back from the hits and rose a few feet into the air with steam thrusters from their backs and crashed onto the slabs, sending tremors through the ground that rocked the benders.

Korra launched to her feet and propelled herself toward a mech with fire from her fists. Two androids came at her from both sides and she corkscrewed in mid-air, sending out flames that repelled them. Landing at the centre of the three robots, Korra took a stance.

Mako and Bolin engaged the mechs on either side of the Avatar, flipping to the other's position and assaulting them with their elements. Korra jumped back as the third android before her threw a punch and she planted her foot on the ground behind her. She thrust her fists forward and sent a line of rocks that smacked the machine backward.

Bolin raised three boulders with his fists and sent them at a mech with rapid kicks. The robot smashed through the projectiles and he jumped back, slamming his fists onto the ground. A fissure parted the earth and a stream of lava rose upward toward the android. Holding its palm out, the machine opened an aperture and sprayed liquid nitrogen onto the molten trail, cooling it instantly.

"Oh, come on!" He groaned.

Mako shot a fireball at an android and jumped back as it punched him. He sized it up when he saw Korra being cornered at the cliff by two mechs. "Korra!" He ran toward her.

Korra shot jets of fire at the robots in punches and thrust her hands forward, blasting them with a gust of air. The machines anchored themselves to the ground with spikes from their feet and flung black balls onto the ground. The spheres exploded around the Avatar and she jumped back, teetering on the edge of the crag.

Mako ran toward the two mechatanks and sent fire at them with a flip kick. An android shot a rope around his midsection and manacled him to the ground. He jostled and tried to move as the robots continued assaulting Korra. Bolin thrust his arm up and raised a wave of lava at the android that came toward Mako and another froze the attack.

Korra threw two spinning air kicks at one mech and another swerved around her, firing a missile from a cannon toward her. The Avatar channelled wind to shield herself. The ballistic exploded, breaking apart trees in its wake.

"Korra!" Mako screamed.

Mako, Bolin and Asami watched the rising smoke in horror. Korra was gone. Mako charged lightning through his body and tore through the binds around him. He rose to his feet and stood by Bolin and Asami as the five mechatanks converged on them.

"What do we do now?" Bolin looked around in a panic.

"Hold them off, I've got an idea." Asami ran toward an android before her.

The machine fired rope at her and she slid down between its legs. She leapt onto its back and grabbed its plating. Charging electricity into it, she ripped a piece off the armour and thrust her hand into the circuitry. The android reached to grab her and she flipped off it, causing it to chase her.

Mako and Bolin shot blasts of earth and fire at the remaining four mechas that attacked from all around, raising walls to shield themselves and pushed them back. Mako shoved a fireball at a mechatank and channelled lightning through his arms, firing lightning into its chest. Bolin summoned two boulders and smashed them onto two androids before him. Stamping his foot on the ground, he raised lava and thrust his hands forth, spraying it onto the machines.

Asami hopped about as the damaged android shot electric balls at her in the burnt path. She passed her hand through the grass as she ran toward the machine, sending flames its way. Using the distraction, she moved around the robot and jumped on its back. She clutched its thrusters and shoved her hand into the hole in the armour. She fiddled around pulled on a cable, opening the helmet of the machine, revealing a man inside whom she grabbed and electrocuted with her glove.

Bolin raised his arms before him and covered himself and Mako in a row of rocks. He winced as the mechs hit the earth and he plopped onto the ground. "Man, how do we defeat these things?"

"There's too many of them." Mako grunted and clasped his wounded arm.

"Need some help?" Asami called from inside a mechatank. She fired a missile at an android and the blast pushed it back. The other three androids opened gunfire at her and she glided around the onslaught. "Aim for their backs; their armour's weaker there!"

"Asami, you're a life saver!" Bolin leapt out of the barricade and smashed onto the ground, raising rocks that rocked two mechs before him.

He summoned lava and thrust his arms to his right, flooding them with the molten earth and manacling them down. Mako ran toward two androids chasing after Asami and jumped up. Summoning lightning, he fired into the machines' backs and Asami fired two missiles at them. Bolin two stalactites and pierced them into the bound robots, destroying them.

"Phew! Never doing that again." He panted and stooped over.

"Yeah, those things were tough." Asami came to a stop and opened the hood of the mech. She wiped sweat off her brow and saw Mako walking away from them. "Mako ..."

The man moved silently through the destroyed trees and stood before the smouldering crater. His head hung low as he walked on, his feet reaching the edge as he looked down to a waterfall below. "Korra ..."

Bolin pushed a branch aside and moved toward his brother. He stopped as he got closer, seeing his fists white-knuckle as his body shivered. Coming to his side, he placed a hand on his shoulder and searched for words to say. "I ... I'm sorry, Mako."

"I should've been faster." Mako gritted his teeth in anger.

"You did everything you could."

"I've gotta go down there." Mako tried to move and Bolin held him back.

"Mako, she could've survived that fall." He frowned. "I'm sorry, man." He sighed and looked to Asami who fumbled around in the mech.

She sniffled and wiped her eye as she fished out a scroll from a compartment in the machine. "H-hey, I found something."

Mako glanced at her and sifted his mind. Shaking his head, he scowled and moved away from the cliff, shaking Bolin's hand off him. "What is it?"

"It looks like a map; it must be where the base is." Asami's voice grew shaky as she gripped the paper.

"You okay?" Bolin's brows crossed as he looked up at her.

"No." She scowled and smeared a tear on her cheek. "But we need to find President Raiko before it's too late."

Looking at the two, Bolin turned to the cliff then frowned. "Let's move.

* * *

A FULL MOON shone over the forest as Asami, Bolin and Mako manoeuvred the ever darkening woods. Moving through the thick leaves, the trio came to the precipice of a slope that went down to a clearing that housed a small edifice. The building stood within a wire fence and was surrounded by men who stood on patrol.

"Are we sure this is the actual building?" Bolin whispered. "What if it's another illusion or something?"

"Then we're screwed cuz we've followed the map to the letter." Asami held up the paper.

"Let's just hope we're right." Mako squatted and grabbed a stick. "Okay, we have about ten men around the facility, most likely bloodbenders, so we need to make sure they don't see us."

"Well, since we're talking magic, there might be some sorta barrier that'd keep us from getting close to the place." Asami climbed down from the mech.

"Yeah and the mech's a no-go since they'd see it a mile away." Bolin stroked his chin.

"Hmm." Mako looked at the android. "I've got an idea."

* * *

SNEEZING LOUDLY, a Mark of the Moon guard wiped his nose and stood his post. His fellow member sent him a murderous look as he stood on the opposite side of the gate, shaking his head when he saw a mechatank approach. "Stop." He walked up to the android. "What're you doing here?"

"Just came back from the sweep. We found the Avatar and her friends and we took care of 'em – I was the only one left." Mako answered calmly.

"Hmm." The other guard squinted as he studied him. "Okay, proceed." He gestured for him to pass.

The gates slid open and the mechatank entered the yard. The two guards went back on duty and the men in the vicinity moved passed the android. The machine suddenly shorted out and fell over.

"Dammit." Asami bit her lip as she, Mako and Bolin watched from the bushes near the facility.

"What happened?" Mako leaned toward her as he saw the men in the camp converge on the mech.

"Well, I did say the signal range was short."

"Did it have to be that short?" Bolin raised his brow.

"It's not my fault."

"Guess I don't need this." Mako tossed his earpiece aside. "So, how long will it last without the core?"

"Well ..." Asami looked at a round metal ball in her hand. "I'd say about –," The mech blew up, knocking several men back and damaging the fence. "Yeah."

"Okay, let's go." Mako ran out of the bushes.

Smoke rose into the air and several bodies lay around as men converged at the scene of the explosion a few feet from the building. Mako, Asami and Bolin snuck around the commotion, moving out of earshot and entered the edifice.

* * *

MAKO LEANED against a wall and held a finger to his lip as men ran down a corridor. Looking into the hall, he nodded to Asami and Bolin and walked onward. The trio moved through the building, apprehensive to exposure as shouts echoed all about. Asami leaned against a door and squinted as she heard a muffled scream.

"Guys." She squeaked.

Mako and Bolin came to her side and pressed their ears against the door. It flew open and a man came out. "Hey, who's –,"

Mako shot a fireball in the man's face and the three ran into the dirty room. Raiko sat in the centre of the expanse, dazed and bound to a chair surrounded by a railing that stood around him and moved a bright light to his face at regular intervals. "Mr President!" Mako sent flames onto the bulb, destroying it.

"Huh! What happened?" The man jerked up.

"You were kidnapped by the Mark of the Moon." Asami ran up to him and burnt the binds around him with her glove.

"Oh, thank goodness, you don't know what they were doing to me." Raiko stood up.

"Are you okay?" Asami looked to him in worry.

"We need to get you out of here." Mako frowned.

"I am certainly not okay – they were trying to brainwash me!" Raiko straightened his jacket.

"What did they say?" Bolin asked.

"I can't remember everything, but they wanted me to work with Tonraq to start a Second Great War."


	7. Fate and Free Will

RAYS OF the morning sun gleamed off Korra's face; her eyes pressed tightly as she fought through the sounds of explosions and the rushing winds of the fall. She gasped and flung up; her breath rapid and panicked as she took in the clear waters of a stream to her right, the sands of the bank she sat upon spreading out to her left and the figure of an man clad in frayed clothing approaching her.

"Zaheer?" Korra was spurred upward, nearly tripping as she stood and watched the man calmly sit near a smouldering pile of firewood. "Wh-what're you doing out of prison? Where am I?"

"Calm down, Korra."

"Calm down? I was in the middle of a battle and – oh no." Her eyes widened in realisation. "Mako, Asami – where are they? What have you done with them –," She recoiled and clasped a burn on her left shoulder that was coated with herbs.

"Don't be afraid, I'm not here to harm you." He spoke calmly.

"Then where am I?" Her voice lowered as she began to think. "How did you escape from prison?"

"I didn't escape; I was rescued."

"By who?"

"They wouldn't say. They wore these uniforms: dark blue – nearly black – with hoods and masks."

"The Mark of the Moon; terrorists who want waterbenders to rule the world." Korra groaned and rubbed her head. "Man, those guys are all over the place."

"They wanted me to work for them, something to do with communicating with spirits, but we were attacked on the way to their leader by this ... creature."

"Creature?" Her face lit up, the charred footprints quickly coming to mind.

"I thought it was a dark spirit at first, but it was different." Zaheer's eyes thinned. "It was like a human being, around seven feet tall with red skin and black trousers. It was wrapped in chains and had two large, black, curved horns."

"Horns?"

Zaheer frowned. "I have heard of spirits taking many forms and I have seen several, but none were like this one. This was no spirit. It was a ... devil."

"A devil?"

"It walked in an ever-burning flame, gutting everything in its path. It vaporised the seven men and four mechatanks that I was with and I'm lucky to still be alive."

"That must be what I'd been sensing in the Spirit World for the past few months." Korra scowled. "First the Mark of the Moon then magic and now a devil; this can't all be random." She huffed. 'Man, how am I supposed to fight all this?"

"I don't think there's a man alive who can stop that thing, but there is still a chance the Avatar can defeat it."  
"How? The Mark of the Moon are always a step ahead, I can't close the Spirit Portals and now there's a devil?" Defeat showed on her face. "... I-I can't do it."

"We can never be sure that we'll succeed with the odds we face, but we still have to strive on even when things seem bleak." Zaheer's voice warmed then became stern. "There isn't much I can do to help you stop what's coming, but I can give you a fighting chance."

"How?" Korra asked.

"I will teach you how to fly."

* * *

LING SCOWLED as she looked at the cloudless azure sky; the sun gleaming off lush green leaves of the trees that littered the forest encompassing the clearing she stood in. Taking in the wreckage of wood, fallen oak and damaged mechatanks, the woman checked her watch and became impatient – the flames of rage rising in the glare she shot at the metalbender police officers that searched the area.

"Tell me you found something." She walked toward Detective Hen.

"The battle took place some hours ago, but we can't be sure where they went."

"Dammit." Ling rubbed her forehead and sighed. "Okay, spread out and search the forest – they couldn't have gone far."

"Yes, ma'am." Hen nodded and went to the other officers.

Ling looked around and prepared to leave when she saw Mako, Asami, Bolin and Raiko enter via the path to the cliff. "President Raiko!" Her face lit up and she ran up to them. "What happened to you?"

"They tried to brainwash me, but luckily these three came to save me in the nick of time." Raiko gestured to the trio behind him.

"Three?" Ling's eyes thinned. "Where's Korra?"

Mako's brows stitched, the weight of his grief effusing in his expression along with Asami and Bolin who hesitated to answer. "She ... she died when we were ambushed by mechatanks in the forest." He managed.

"No, no." Ling walked passed them and moved up to the edge; the heights shrinking the distant trees below. "We need to hold a search."

"Forgive my brashness, but we have another problem." Raiko moved up to her, his stolid tone betraying the despair in his eyes. "Chief Tonraq could be in danger."

"What do you mean?"

"The Anarchist's men said that I must meet with him in order to initiate a Second Great War."

"Wait, how can they do that when they stopped the summit from happening?" Bolin asked.

"They didn't." Ling frowned.

"What do you mean?" Asami's brow rose.

"The destruction of City Hall only increased the need for the treaty to be signed. The four nations are pushing for it so that we can retaliate against them."

"But how could they have known this ahead of time?" Mako asked.

"It was all planned." Raiko's sifted his mind. "The Anarchist must still have people on the inside. We need to get to Chief Tonraq. Where is he now?"

"I don't know; new protocols were put in place after the assassinations so only the dignitaries and their private security detail know where they are." Ling said.

"Then we need to find out quickly."

"We don't have time." Ling frowned. "The signing is happening in a few hours."

"Then we're too late." Raiko frowned.

"Not if you're there, Mr President." Mako turned to him. "You'll have to be our man on the inside; you'll need to keep a close eye on Tonraq and make sure he's not in danger."

"It's settled then." Ling nodded. "We'll have to get the meds to clear you and get to the summit location as quickly as possible."

* * *

KORRA BREATHED deeply as she sat a few feet away from Zaheer; their eyes both closed and their bodies both assuming the lotus position as they shut out their environment. Korra calmed her mind; her thoughts resolute on the task at hand as she focussed on the air. The rustling of the trees, the waves on the water, the cool touch on her skin and the breeze in her hair; she could feel the world around her.

"Airbending is about freedom and to be free, you must overcome the things that hold you back." Zaheer spoke as he slowly lifted off the ground. "Focus on the wind and air around you, let it take you. Let go."

Korra took a deep breath and continued to focus on her surroundings. After sitting for a while, she growled and opened her eyes. "Ugh, I can't do this!"

"Yes, you can."

"No, and I don't have time for this either." Korra stood up.

"Korra, if you leave, you will be facing that monster without my help."

"Yeah, well, I'm sorry, but I don't think I do need it." She began to walk away.

"Korra, that demon is far more powerful than anything you have ever faced. You may be the Avatar, but you can't do everything on your own." He watched her leave and frowned.

"Well, what use will flying do anyway? It's not like it'll be enough of a power boost to begin with."

"Flight isn't about power, it's about freedom and freedom is fundamental if you want to excel further than you have now." Zaheer descended. "In order to defeat this creature, you must overcome your limitations." He moved up to her and she frowned as she considered what he said. "Now, try again." Korra huffed and walked up to him, taking a seat on the ground and crossed her legs again. "Focus on what is holding you back and overcome it."

She sighed and closed her eyes. "I'll try."

Korra slowed her breath and straightened her back; her mind closing off as she began to focus. Every pore on her skin opened, her body beginning to breathe as she took in the air around her. She felt the freedom, the flow of the atmosphere as air circulated around her.

She exhaled and slowly began to ascend. "Good, now focus; allow yourself to let go." Zaheer said.

Korra's body moved further away from the ground; the gravity holding her slowly relinquishing as she moved to the sky. She began to unknot her legs when she grunted and plummeted to the ground, crashing hard on her side as she hit the rocks. She pulled herself up and rubbed her head in pain, groaning as she looked to Zaheer who stood up.

"Wh-what happened? I thought I was doing well."

"You fell because you didn't let go."

"I didn't let go? Of what?"

"Freedom is hindered by limitation either external or internal."

"Well, it's not like I can't feel the air around me, that's for sure." She dusted herself.

"You are the cause of your own limitation."

"What?"

"You are holding yourself back because you are afraid; I could see it." Zaheer said. "The way you rose was stiff, you weren't allowing yourself to let go."

"Well, why would I be holding myself back? I don't think I'm afraid of anything."

"The fears that cripple us are often the ones we do not see yet they are right in front of us. You must figure out what you are afraid of." He sat down. "Let us try again and focus." She assumed the lotus position. "Be true to yourself. What is holding you back?"

Korra inhaled and exhaled slowly, the air rushing in and out of her calming her thoughts as she began to concentrate. She combed through her past, the time she spent training from childhood, the enemies she'd faced. Amon, Zaheer, Kuvira. The things she'd learned from them and the person she was now.

"Well, I was unwilling to let go of my past adversaries, but I'm over that now – does that count?"

"The thing that's blocking you is the same thing that kept you in the Spirit World when you left. I had been there and I saw you constantly battling with yourself. You tell yourself you're strong, but you're hiding something; even from yourself."

"What could it be?"

"You are the one who has the answer."

Korra sighed, the aggravation knitting a scowl on her forehead. Trying again, she calmed her mind and sifted through it once more. "I left for the Spirit World so that I could reconnect with myself."

"And it didn't change anything. You took Asami with you and thought you could change who you were, but you were just running away. You knew that."

"I sent her back because I needed time alone."

"Time does not heal wounds if you don't let it. Be true to yourself, don't run away from it."

Korra frowned and sighed, coming to the realisation. "You're right, I was afraid ... still afraid."

"What are you afraid of, Korra?"

"I ... I'm afraid of losing everything, the people I care about; my friends, my family." She opened her eyes. "I'm afraid that I can't protect them anymore. Every new enemy's always stronger than me and I feel like I'm just getting weaker."

"Life will always be filled with challenges and that is especially true for the Avatar." Zaheer's expression warmed. "I learned to fly because I entered the void and let go of my attachments to this world."

"I can't do that."

"And you shouldn't. You are the Avatar and you will always be linked to the Spirit and Material World which means that you must be balanced; you cannot be on one side more than the other." Zaheer levitated. "Embrace your fears and limitations and know how to overcome them, only then can you truly know freedom." Korra nodded. "Now, let us try again."

* * *

"THE FOUR nations have lived in peace for nearly a century since the death of Avatar Aang, but that peace has been challenged constantly." Tenzin spoke as he stood at a lectern before dignitaries seated at different tables in a small, underground room. He looked over the people presiding, his heart welling with anticipation as he saw Fire Lord Izumi, Chief Tonraq and President Raiko amongst the representatives present. "The peace we strove towards has been challenged for many years now, but nothing worthwhile can be accomplished without opposition. The Mark of the Moon have declared war on us and this treaty and they will not be the only ones who will try to tear apart what we have built, and that is why we must sign this treaty. We must show them and whoever else who comes along that we will not bend to oppression and that we as a people will not live under subjugation." He looked to the document on the stand and continued: "We have discussed this treaty for a year now and we have agreed upon the terms set by international law. So, without further ado, I would like to call Fire Lord Izumi to the stand."

"That is well and good, Councilman Tenzin, but the Water Nation cannot sign a treaty whose terms are not adhered to by everyone." Chief Tonraq stood up.

"What do you mean?" Tenzin asked.

"The peace treaty is based on trust and prior to the creation of the final draft, the four nations were required to divulge all military secrets and operations."

"Yes, and we all did accordingly." Raiko spoke, trying his best to keep his calm.

"Not all of us."

"What are you talking about?" Tenzin raised his brow.

"The Water Nation has been bumping up security after the assassination of our representative in Republic City and the Northern Tribe has spotted Fire Nation subs on our borders." Tonraq revealed.

Izumi's eyes thinned as she saw the delegates murmur amongst themselves. "Yes, that is true."

"Fire Lord Izumi, why?" Raiko turned to her, his stolid mask cracking.

"I'm sure I'd be the last person to state the obvious, but the Water Nation simply cannot be trusted."

"You still accuse the Water Nation of being behind the attacks? They killed our men!" Tonraq frowned.

"And ours as well." Izumi stood up. "I refuse to simply stand by and ignore the obvious; the Water Nation is behind the attacks."

"And what do you base your allegations on?"

"The attacks speak for themselves." Izumi gestured around. "Soldiers from the four nations and United Forces turned on each other and the attackers were all waterbenders."

"That's preposterous! Our world is far too diverse for that to be your main argument!" Tonraq scowled. "Men and woman have travelled between nations and cultures have intertwined. We have water, earth, fire and airbenders along with nonbenders here in Republic City! You cannot accuse an entire nation for the actions of a few."

"But that's the only conclusion to draw at this point." Izumi said. "The Water Nation is a country founded on dark arts and religions that point heavily to moon worship – you expect me to simply overlook that fact when a group affiliating itself __with__ the Water Nation __and__ the moon is on a rampage."

"The Mark of the Moon are no allies of the Water Nation! You cannot kill your own and claim to be doing it for their good."

"Who's to say really? You can't truly trust the logic of people who worship a lifeless rock in space."

"How dare you!" Tonraq growled.

"Whatever the case may be, the Water Nation cannot forgo scrutiny; we can't ignore that the attacks all lead to them." Izumi looked to the delegates around her. "My people, I believe in the peace treaty and a united earth, but we cannot move forward when the Water Nation clearly can't be trusted."

* * *

DARKNESS. THE rustling of the leaves; the cold breeze and the soft brushing of her hair. Korra's mind took it all in as she sat before Zaheer. He waited patiently as she continued to control her breath; her focus showing on her face as she relaxed her muscles.

Slowly, but surely, she ascended; her body leaving the ground and hovering above. The distance between the earth and the air around her separated further and she could feel the wind beneath her. She reached the height of the trees, but stopped; her brows stitching as she met opposition.

"I can't do it."

"Yes, you can, Korra; face your limitations, face your fear."

"I am, but it's not making it easier."

"Moving forward does not mean that your fear will go away; it is moving forward in spite of that fear that makes you brave. Bravery will give you freedom." Zaheer rose up to her. "You have a talent seen in very few benders in centuries; you can do this. This isn't about flight or power. This is about freedom, about breaking limits. This is about you facing your fear. You are the Avatar." Korra focussed her mind and faced what was precious to her. Her family, her friends. Mako. "You can do this." Zaheer encouraged

Her resolve sharpened and she fixed her mind on the task at hand. Whatever she faced, whatever that demon was, she would overcome it.

Releasing her loved ones from her mind, she let them vanish and faced her fear. Everything that plagued her came rushing before her. The fear of defeat. Loss. Grief. Regret. Death.

She took in the energy of the cosmos. Raava and her connection between the Spirit and Material world. Everything came crashing upon her and she felt it all; the energy of the universe. She embraced it when she drifted into infinity, seeing images appear before her.

The deep blue of the space. The aurora of the stars. The void of a black hole – a being within. The merging of worlds. Another Avatar. She embraced it all.

Korra's eyes shot open and she looked all around her. The clouds at her level; the forest and stream shrinking far down below. She was flying.

"I did it!" She gasped.

"Yes, you did, Korra." Zaheer flew up to her.

"Oh my God, I don't know how to thank you!" She looked around her.

"Don't thank me yet; the battle is far from over."

"Right." She frowned.

"Go and save Republic City."

She nodded and flew off, speeding through the clouds as she descended and swooped over the forest and cliffs. She felt the air around her as she zoomed past the woods; determined to do everything she could as she headed for the city.


	8. Wars

AIR RUSHED around Korra as she descended onto a street in Republic City. Bolin, Mako, Asami and Chief Ling stood near a police car and quickly noticed her when she landed.

"Korra?" Mako's face lit up.

"You're back," Bolin turned to her.

"Yeah, guys, I –,"

Mako embraced her quickly and pulled back. "Thank God, you're alright; we thought you were dead."

"What happened?" Asami walked up to Korra with the others.

"I woke up on the shore near the waterfall and Zaheer saved me." Korra answered.

"Zaheer? He's supposed to be in prison." Mako frowned.

"I know, but we need General Iroh's help. The Mark of the Moon is planning something big. Wait, did you find President Raiko?" Korra asked.

"Yes, he's with the other dignitaries who're signing the treaty." Chief Ling said.

"I need to talk to him right away." Korra said.

* * *

THE COUNCIL ROOM was in an uproar as tensions rose between Tanroq and Izumi in their heated argument. Tenzin, having been standing at the lectern this whole time, neared his breaking point.

"This is an outrage!" Tanroq yelled.

"The Water Nation is behind these attacks, there is no question about it. The Fire Nation cannot join forces with you." Izumi said.

"People please!" Tenzin interjected. "The Mark of the Moon is an enemy to all the four nations and they have infiltrated all of us. Think about their last attack when men of the United Forces attacked us and turned on each other. They could be among us - they could be in this very room -, but the last thing we need is to be divided amongst ourselves because that is exactly what they want."

"Tenzin's right." Korra's voice came.

"Korra, what're you doing here?" Tanroq turned to her.

"We have an emergency. I need to talk to President Raiko." Korra walked up to the centre of the room.

"What is it?" Raiko asked.

Korra began to speak to Raiko, explaining to him what Zaheer had told her. In the corner of the room, however, was a man who quickly grew tense.

"Chief Tanroq, the Navy General has just called. They're closing in on Fire Nation borders." General Ching said.

"What? Who gave the order to deploy them?" Tanroq asked.

"You did, sir."

"What is this?" Raiko rose to his feet.

"You were going to attack my soldiers!" Izumi growled.

"I didn't give the order." Tanroq turned to her.

"Sir, you did - we'd planned this for weeks now." General Ching insisted.

Korra looked around in worry as the dignitaries began to tense up again. She looked to Tanroq and saw his panic. "Wait, he's telling the truth!" She yelled.

"Oh, and we should believe you?" Izumi asked.

"When we retrieved President Raiko from the Mark of the Moon, he was told to go and speak with my father after they'd release him. They tried to brainwash him, but we got there in time." Korra said. "I think they brainwashed my father as well."

"That is preposterous!" Tanroq said. "How would that happen?"

"I don't know, but it's obvious that they have infiltrated all of us. They must've gotten to you too."

"That's impossible." Tanroq said.

"If you did not give the order then prove it - call off your men, now." Izumi said.

Tanroq nodded and turned to General Ching. "Call them off."

The General picked up a telephone near him. He waited then scowled in surprise. "The line's dead."

"Well, try again!" Tanroq said.

"I'm trying." General Ching dialled repeatedly.

Korra turned to Izumi. "Fire Lord Izumi, you need to warn your men."

"Call them!" Izumi said to a Fire Nation General.

The Fire Nation General picked up the phone and his face whitened as he heard the beep. "The line is dead."

Korra began to panic, but quickly calmed herself. "General, where exactly was the Water Nation fleet going?"

"The Northern Fire Nation Navy base." General Ching said.

"Then I'm heading there." Korra ran toward the door. "I just hope I'm not too late."

* * *

KORRA SPED over the oceans, parting the clouds as she broke the sound barrier. Her shadow cast over the waters, her eyes darting around as she looked for the ships. She looked forward and saw the seashore in the distance.

"There they are."

Korra saw a fleet of Water Nation ships up ahead moving in a steady formation. She shot toward them when she heard a loud whooshing sound coming from behind her. She turned and saw a missile shoot toward her.

Korra swerved out of the way and saw three Water Nation planes approach. "The Water Nation? What're they doing?" She said to herself.

Another missile shot at her and she barely dodged it, its metal grazing her shoulder. Clutching the bruise in pain, she flew up to a plane.

"Hey, what're you doing! I'm Avatar Korra! I'm on your side!" Korra yelled.

A plane opened machine gunfire from behind her. She turned quickly and sent out a gust of wind that knocked the bullets aside.

"Oh, you wanna play that way? Fine." Korra frowned.

Korra sped toward the three planes and they sprayed a volley of bullets at her. She spun and wove air around, deflecting the bullets. She flew up to the aircraft, sending out a gust of air that broke a plane's wing off and caused it to crash.

Korra watched the pilot parachute out of the plummeting plane and she flew up to another plane that shot a missile at her. She swerved around the projectile, flying close to it and kicked off it, springing up and propelling herself up to the plane. Landing on the nose, she grabbed the pilot and tossed him out.

She jumped off the plane and metalbent it in mid-air, tossed it toward another plane that exploded. She watched a pilot fall out and turned to the water, seeing the ships moving toward a Fire Nation blockade up ahead.

"Oh no."

Korra sped toward the ships and got to the front of the Water Nation fleet when a missile crashed in the water before her, knocking her back with its blast. She rose into the air as the Fire Nation and Water Nation ships fired at each other. Flying high above the volley, Korra raised her arms before her, stopping the projectiles.

Sweat beaded down Korra's face as she suspended the missiles in the air, her mind racing as pain spread in veins across her arms. She nearly gave out when the missiles on her left exploded, blasting her far back. Quickly catching herself in mid-air, she looked around in frustration and she gasped when a Water Nation ship began to move into the frontlines.

The ship's upper deck opened, unveiling a massive cannon that steadily aimed at the Fire Nation fleet. Korra dove toward the vessel and instantly got blinded as it fired an energy beam at the opposing ships. The beam parted the waters and hit the vessels, creating a massive explosion that upheaved a thirty foot wall of water and flung Korra into the ocean.

The water stung bitterly as she crashed into it and she looked around in pain as explosions lit the depths periodically. She steadied herself and slammed her fists together, creating a wave of water around her as she entered the Avatar State. Moving her arms around, she thrust her fist forward and held her leg up, positioning herself as she summoned rocks from the ocean floor.

The ships moved closer to each other on the surface when the water began to part, giving way for a wall of earth that Korra summoned beneath her. The structure reached six hundred feet into the air, towering over the fleets. Walking over the wall, the Avatar watched the ships on either side and determined that the battle was over.

Hopping off the wall, Korra got out of the Avatar State and blasted off, rocking the Water Nation ships in her wake as she broke the sound barrier. She flew toward the ship with the cannon, weaving water at her side which she skewered through the cannon, blowing it up. She flew up and looked at the ship, flying off.

* * *

MUMBLING filled the Secret Council hall as tensions continued to run high. President Raiko watched the chaos continuously and Fire Nation soldiers watched Tanroq suspiciously. Korra burst into the room, drawing everyone's attention.

"Korra, what happened? We couldn't contact anyone." Tenzin asked.

"I went to the Fire Nation Navy base – it was a disaster." Korra said.

"What happened?" Izumi walked up to her.

"It's just as Chief Ching said, the Water Nation attacked the Fire Nation fleet." Korra responded, soliciting troubled murmuring from the delegates.

"See? This is exactly what I'm saying," Izumi said to the delegates. "We cannot trust the Water Nation."

"No, you don't understand, the Water Nation isn't doing this; the Mark of the Moon is responsible." Korra moved up to her.

"What proof do you have?" Izumi asked.

"They attacked me and had some sort of plasma cannon that decimated the Fire Nation fleet. I've never seen that before." Korra said.

"Wait, did you say plasma cannon?" The Fire Nation General asked.

"Yes, but I destroyed it."

"How is that possible?" He asked himself.

A phone rang and a Fire Nation soldier answered it. "Sir, it's the Navy Commander." He said.

The Fire Nation General received the phone from him. "This is General Grievous."

"Sir, we were just attacked by the Water Nation." The Fire Navy Commander said on the other end.

"Yes, we've just got confirmation." General Grievous responded.

"It was a disaster. We lost nearly half of our fleet. Sir, they were using the Plasma cannon."

General Grievous' eyes dilate din shock. "Are you sure of it?"

"Sir, the design was exactly like our own."

General Grievous frowned and Izumi turned to him. "What is it?" She asked.

"It's just as Korra said; they had experiment 296."He said.

"But how? We're seven years away from even building it; our plans haven't been stolen." Izumi asked.

"Korra's theory is the only explanation; we've been infiltrated." Grievous said, causing to Izumi to step back.

"Fire Lord Izumi, we need to act now. If the MOM make their next move and we aren't prepared to fight them, they could destroy all the Four Nations." Korra said.

Murmurs spread and Izumi sifted her mind. She looked around the room at all the delegates; the delegates of the Air, Earth, Fire and Water Nation.

"The Four Nations have been divided by fear and hate for many centuries. This treaty will finally bridge the gap and bring unity, but the Mark of the Moon wants to keep us at war; I see that now." Izumi said and frowned determinedly. "The Fire Nation will sign the treaty."

The people cheered in excitement and Korra took it in, giving a satisfied sigh. Tenzin shared her expression as well, but President Raiko, however, grew even more worried.

THE ANARCHIST walked through a dim hall filled with Mark of the Moon members who moved about. A member walked up to him.

"Sir, the Second Great War has failed. The four nations are signing the treaty and Chief Tanroq is undergoing a psyche evaluation." The man said.

The Anarchist sifted his mind. "Then we must move into the final phase." He walked on. "Rally the soldiers; we're going to Republic City."


	9. Circles

CHATTERING FILLED the air as President Raiko and members of his delegation made their way through the underground terminal, their voices deepening his concerns. Despite there finally being a greater chance for peace among the four nations, the man felt more and more distressed and feared the worst was yet to come.

* * *

"... AND SO we'll be rounding up our forces," Iroh said on the other end.

"Now? I thought you were just about to sign the peace treaty." Asami said; worry washing over her as she stood in her office at Future Industries.

"Korra was right, if we aren't prepared for what's coming, we'll lose."

"Then why tell me all this? Isn't this information classified?"

"Because I trust you," Iroh responded, making her smile slightly. "And also because we need to coordinate so we can get some of my men in one of those Chi-Suits; we're going to need them if we're going to defeat the Mark of the Moon's bloodbenders."

"I'm having my scientists run final tests on them - if those bastards attack, we'll be ready for them."

"Alright, keep me posted."

"I will." Asami said, hanging up. Grabbing her coat, she headed out of the room.

* * *

IROH STEPPED out of his office and into the secret terminal, waiting for President Raiko's arrival as he'd escort him to his home. He stood beside two subordinate officers and waited, putting together defensive strategies for the city when he heard a loud bang across the hall. He jerked up and looked to his right, seeing a wave of ice freeze the walls and Raiko getting flung across the floor.

"Mr President!" Iroh rushed to his side when a sharp blade of ice shoot through a wall and right toward his neck!

The man quickly slid beneath it and shielded his face as his subordinates were impaled to death by two other frozen spikes. Iroh panted and looked down the hall Raiko was flung out of, seeing a United Forces Officer and one of Raiko's own guards walking toward them with ice wrapped around their arms.

"What kind of mutiny is this!?" Iroh frowned.

The Forces Officer drew out a knife and Iroh took a fighting stance, ready to defend himself when the officer sliced his own palm! Letting the blood drip, the soldier muttered to himself and slapped his hand on the floor, making the blood spread out. Iroh stood there, stunned as the blood moved and formed a symbolic pattern on the floor.

Before he could react, the guard chucked a spike at him, impaling him in the gut and pinning him against the wall. Iroh coughed up blood and looked up to see the two men going after Raiko who had passed out on the floor. Summoning fire, the general burned the ice off him and rolled on the ground, spreading a wave of flame that covered the hallway and set it ablaze.

The Forces Officer and guard covered their faces from the blazing heat and looked on to see that Iroh and Raiko had vanished! Sharing a look, they ran through the fire.

* * *

"AND PABU went flying through the ring of fire and stuck the landing! It was amazing, you should see the mover, Pabu stole the entire show!" Bolin grinned as he, Mako and Korra stepped out of the restaurant and walked down the street.

"Whoa, guess you really did train the lil guy." Korra said.

"Yeah, it's too bad he had to go travelling with the circus again, but hey, when he comes around, I'll make sure you two have front row seats!"

"We wouldn't miss it, Bolin." Mako said.

"Ugh, I feel like I'm pregnant," Korra stretched out, "That food was great."

"I'm not that much into that vegetarian diet." Mako shook his head.

"You should try it! It's good for your heart, controls weight gain and -,"

"I've lived with you, Bolin; I know enough about the whole living like a rabbit thing."

"Well, I think I might try it, I didn't think it'd taste so good." Korra smiled when a man in a large coat grabbed her and dragged her into an alley. "Hey!"

"Korra!" Mako yelled and ran into the alley, finding Korra talking to the strange man.

"Iroh?" Korra raised her brow. "What're you doing here?"

"I'm trying to hide." Iroh said in a hushed voice.

"Well, you coulda done a better job than hide in an obvious trench coat."

"It was all I could do in such short notice!" Iroh pulled the coat open, revealing a blood-soaked bandage wrapped around his abdomen.

"Whoa, what happened?" Bolin's eyes dilated.

"The Mark of the Moon tried to attack President Raiko."

"What? I thought he was in a secret location nobody knew about." Korra said.

"His own men attacked him." Iroh said. "They've got spies everywhere - who knows who we can trust."

"Where is he right now?" Mako asked.

"He's in a private bunker I have - he's with my parents right now." Iroh said.

"Then, we've gotta warn Lin," Korra said and headed out of the alley.

"Korra, look out!" Mako pulled Korra out of the way as a car came tumbling down the road and crashed into a nearby building!

Korra, Mako, Bolin, and Iroh ran into the street and saw the Future Industries building in flames and people running about. They were stunned at this and rushed passed them, plopping onto the road and crashing into an oncoming bus. They ran toward the accident, Mako and Bolin checking on the people in the car and Korra and Iroh checking the falling object.

Korra and Iroh ran up to a trench in the road and found white robotic armor covered in scratches lying in the dirt. They glanced at each other in confusion and the suit's visor flew open, revealing Asami inside it as she breathed heavily. "Asami?" The two raised their brows.

"Oh, Korra, Iroh, hey," Asami panted, "Could ya help me up? This thing's a lil banged up."

"What happened?" Korra grunted as she and Iroh picked the heavy suit up.

"The Mark of the Moon."

"You too?" Iroh asked.

"Yeah, I guess they're in my company too." Asami said and clenched her fists, causing the suits parts to whirr and the red light on her chest plate to come alight.

"So, you got the Spirit Suit working?" Korra asked.

"Well, mostly - this's the first prototype I designed for myself." Asami said, flipping the see-through visor back on.

"Nice design," Iroh looked at the armor, seeing how the armor followed the curves of her body.

"Korra, we've gotta -," Bolin cut himself off when he saw Asami's suit. "Stark Industries is so gonna sue."

"I'm not ripping him off!" Asami frowned.

"None of that matters - we've got mechatanks heading our way!" Mako yelled, pointing to an explosion in the street behind him.

Chaos spread as civilians fled the scene and explosions peppered the street up ahead. Out of the flames came five mechatanks, each of them scanning their surroundings seemingly looking for something. Looking down their path, they spotted Korra and the others and raised their hands, charging electricity through their palms.

"You weren't kidding when you said the Mark of the Moon were attacking." Korra flew toward them.

Spraying fire on the ground, Korra blew up four empty cars in front of the mechatanks, blocking their view and flipping right over them. She landed behind them and planted her feet in the ground, summoning rocks that pushed against the large machines. The robots broke the earth apart and came charging at her, failing to see Asami coming flying down from behind.

Asami landed on a mech and ripped its back panel off, looking for its circuitry, but there was nothing inside! The machine spun its head back and opened fire at her head, nearly blowing it clean off when Bolin quickly rushed in and sent a ball of metal at it, knocking its arm forward. Flipping off the machine, Asami fired a blast of spirit energy at the droid and landed beside Mako, Iroh and Bolin, watching smoke rise from the mech.

The robot stood motionless as smoke rose from it, bringing tension to the air as Korra and the others stood at the ready. The machine lurched and a wave erupted from it, causing cars nearby to short out and a streetlight to explode and fall over. A civilian nearby was beneath the lamp and Korra went to the rescue, only to be hit back by the mechatank, knocking her into a car.

Mako rushed toward a mech, blasting it with rapid fireballs that it simply walked through then fired electric whips at him. Mako flipped out of the way and burned a door of a nearby car, heating the metal with fire and chucking it at the machine, piercing its side. The machine aimed electric whips at him and he grabbed the metal, charging electricity through his body and firing it back at the robot, causing it to stumble back.

Bolin zigzagged down the road as a mech fired a flurry of metal balls at him, breaking through the asphalt and leaving holes behind him. Drawing metal from surrounding cars, he directed them at the machine's legs, manacling them and sending them up, flipping the robot upside down. He skidded to a stop and stamped his foot on the ground, opening a hole in the earth and letting the mech crash into it, smashing its head as he slammed the ditch shut.

Another mech nearby threw wild strikes at Asami, failing to hit her as she deftly flipped back and launched herself into the air with steam thrusters in her boots. Channeling energy through her palms, the woman blasted the machine, knocking it back and she flew toward it. The robot shot electric whips in retaliation and she grabbed them, turning them back and stabbing them into its chest, electrocuting its inner circuitry.

Korra went to work on the last two robots, deflecting their blasts with barriers of earth and pushing them back with a gust of air. Iroh ran up to a machine as it was pushed back, channeling flames over one arm and lightning over the other, and he fired them through the robot, causing it to explode. Korra flew up to the last machine, summoning water from a fire hydrant and freezing it over her right arm, and came crashing down, piercing through machine through its chest and slamming it onto a vehicle.

Korra hovered back to the ground and saw their handiwork when warning sirens blared throughout the city.

"This is an emergency warning - the city is under attack! Repeat, the city is under attack! Please return to your homes and lock your doors immediately!" A voice came on the speakers on different buildings.

"Well, that's not good." Bolin said when he heard a scream coming from behind him.

A female United Forces Officer crawled on the ground covered in blood and another officer drew the fluid out of her, draining her body dry and sending out spikes to impale passersby. Korra shot towards the assailant when a police officer rammed a rock into her side, knocking her through a nearby bookstore window. The others came to her aid, but were caught off as bullets rained from above as an airship flew by.

Avoiding the oncoming fire, the four ran into the store and barricaded themselves with an earth wall from Bolin, coming to Korra's side as she pushed herself up from under a pile of books.

"Well, that was enough reading for the rest of the year," Korra knocked a book off her face.

"How did they sneak so much into the city without anybody noticing?" Mako asked.

"This's the city's own military forces attacking its people," Iroh frowned, "They must've been in our ranks for years."

"So, what do we do now?" Asami asked.

"We need to stop this at the source; the Anarchist," Iroh explained, "If we can capture him, maybe we could force him to put his men down."

"I don't think zealot assholes like these guys would give in even if we captured their leader." Korra said.

"Well, it's our best bet - we can't win when we're so divided." Mako said.

Korra huffed, "So, where do we start?"

"He's gotta be somewhere where he can see his plan unfold," Iroh stroked his chin.

"He must be in one of the airships!" Mako exclaimed.

"But which one?" Bolin asked.

"We'll just wreck 'em and find out." Korra stood up and shot fire at the roof, destroying the structure and revealing the line of airships up above.

"I'd have liked a bit of a strategy." Iroh said.

"Come on, no dillydallying!" Korra burst into the air, rushing towards an airship, quickly being followed by Asami.

Mako and Iroh soon followed with fire from their fists and Bolin was the last to remain, doing squats and stretching out. "Hope I remember this." Doing his last squat, the man boosted himself through the air with a pile of earth, zooming past everyone including Korra and flying toward the ship. "Here goes!"

Reaching into his pocket, Bolin pulled out a metal ball and coated his fist in it, shaping it into a large blade and punching right through the hull of the ship above. The men inside panicked as their floor blew open and were immediately knocked out as Bolin transformed the metal into a boomerang and flung it at them, knocking them out one by one. Korra and the others arrived soon after and found Bolin finishing off the last man, putting the metal back into his pocket.

"Whoa …" Korra said wide-eyed.

"Where'd you get that?" Asami asked.

"Moon rock, Ju-Li said Varrick found a bunch of it in a meteorite." Bolin said.

"Well, we've got no time to waste." Iroh said running up to the ship's steering. "We have to find out if the Anarchist is in this ship."

The others spread out, beginning their search when Asami wove her hand around her, looking at the small screen on her forearm. "I just scanned the ship - he's not here."

"Are you sure that stuff's not magic?" Bolin looked at her suspiciously.

The ship rocked violently, nearly knocking them down and alarms went off. "Something just hit us!" Korra frowned.

"It's the other ships!" Iroh said, "I guess they've realized we took over this one." He spun the ship around sharply, nearly causing the others to fall over again.

"What're you doing!?" Mako yelled.

Iroh grinned as he rammed the vessel into the enemy formation, destroying the outer coating of their ship and slamming it into a massive ship at the very back! Sparks, smoke and broken glass filled the control room of the ship as Iroh and the others pulled themselves up, almost not recognizing their environment as it'd completely smashed into the larger ship's upper deck.

Seeing the carnage before him, Iroh grinned, his eyes blazing in the fires around as he looked for their enemies. Asami chuckled as she saw this, "Who knew you had a crazy side."

"That was awesome!" Bolin cheered.

"Come on, we have no time to lose," Iroh said as he stepped forward, keeping a wide grin on his face as he walked passed Korra.

"I don't think I like this side of him," Korra watched him walk off.

Making their way through the rubble, the five begun their search when the doors and windows shut suddenly! They froze as this happened, looking around when the ship went into a free fall!

"This's a trap!" Bolin cried.

"Ya think?" Korra frowned.

The ship rumbled as its metal began to bend inward and the five were flung upward as it fell faster and faster. Grabbing onto a nearby beam, Korra thrust her palm at the floor, raising her brow as nothing happened. She did it again, but it wouldn't budge when she noticed a circle with strange symbols etched into the floor.

"It's one of those marks from before!" Korra yelled, "We can't bend our way outta here!"

"So magic exists?" Bolin clung to the side of the ship. "I don't know if I should be excited or sad that I had to figure it out this way!" He sniffled. "Goodbye, Pabu!"

Mako shot fire at the floor, but nothing happened as well. He huffed, "Guess that son of a bitch thought this through."

"So, this is how I die, huh?" Iroh said. "I served my country yet."

"Don't count us out yet," Asami aimed her palm at the floor, "The Anarchist may have thought of the four elements, but he never counted on Spirit Energy!"

Channeling the energy, Asami blew up the floor of the ship open, allowing them to jump out as they were mere meters away from the ground. Bending air around the four, Korra carried them out from beneath the ship, making it out just in time before it exploded and flung them onto the road. They pushed themselves up, each covered in bruises and watching as the ship went ablaze and gutted a nearby building.

They watched in horror as people ran off and were caught off guard as another eruption went off in the opposite street as mechatanks attacked United Forces Officers. "We've gotta help them!" Korra ran toward the scene when she tripped over something. Rubbing her head, the Avatar pushed herself up and saw a large blood vessel on the ground! "What the?"

"Look!" Mako pointed up ahead to where civilians stood still.

"What's happening to them?" Bolin squinted.

"Bloodbending." Asami's face fell cold.

Iroh's brow furrowed and he ran up to a man who was frozen nearby, seeing the veins on his neck bulge as he tried futilely to move. "What is this?" Iroh stepped back and looked around, seeing several blood vessels run through out the street, seeing more rising out of the earth.

"Seems you made it out of my trap, quite impressive," The Anarchist's voice came on the city speakers. "But, I expected this, so I left you a little present."

"That bastard." Korra growled.

"I've laid a blood-bending bind around the city that'll manacle citizens and slowly kill them over the next four hours unless the Avatar hands herself over," The Anarchist continued, "And so you don't try and bide your time, I've ordered my men and mecha-tanks to cull any citizens they find until the clock runs out. Your choice: save yourself or do what's best for the greater good."

"Oh, when I get my hands on that son of a bitch I'll -," Mako covered Korra's mouth.

"Shh!" He looked to his right and saw a mech walking down the street nearby. "If we draw the attention of the Mark of the Moon, we'll be surrounded."

"We have to hide." Iroh ran up to a nearby building, breaking the latch off.

Running into the small apartment building the five took refuge and sealed themselves in with Bolin's bending, wondering what they should do next. "You don't happen to have an anti-magic weapon in there, do you?" Korra asked.

"I just hoped the Anarchist didn't count for spirit energy back on the ship," Asami said, "It was a total fluke."

"Goddammit," Mako paced around, "So, we're completely out of ideas here?"

"If Katara was here, she's probably know what to do," Korra said.

"Well, yeah, she knew blood-bending, but nobody's ever been this powerful," Asami pointed out.

"Or ever used magic," Bolin added, "Man, if only we had some kinda magician on our side who was a good guy. He could be someone strange with a cool red coat."

"We've gotta think of something fast." Mako said.

"Well, I call for hiding out here till this all blows over." Bolin said.

"Now's not the time for joking, Bolin." Mako said sternly.

"I know, but I just -," Bolin's body stiffened.

"Bolin!" Mako ran up to him.

"What's happening?" Bolin asked, veins spreading through his body.

"Oh my God," Asami gasped.

"Now hold on soldier." Iroh said.

"Bolin! Bolin!" Mako panicked.

"No, it's okay, I'll be fine, just -," Bolin froze up, his skin paling and his eyes going white.

"Fuck!" Mako punched the wall in rage.

Iroh, Asami and Korra watched in disbelief as their cheerful friend stood there stone cold. Korra shook her head slowly, stepping away from him. "I gotta hand myself over."

"No, you can't do that," Iroh said.

"Look at him! We can't save him and if we wait, the soldiers will kill hundreds." Korra said, her eyes widening in panic. "I have to give myself in."

"Korra, wait, you can't just -,"

A loud bang interrupted them as a mecha-tank burst through a nearby wall, spraying rocks about and exposing them to two water-benders from the Mark of the Moon. The water benders rushed in, spraying strips of ice and water around that nearly pierced Mako, Iroh and Korra who deftly jumped out of the way. Korra quickly erected a wall of earth and the machine punched through it, knocking her back onto Bolin who fell over.

Seeing this, Mako fired lightning at the water that trailed toward the two waterbenders, electrocuting them on the spot. Grabbing Bolin, Korra rushed out of the room, bending a hole through the wall and entering the street outside. A chase ensued as more bender joined the mech which chased after Korra, Mako, Iroh and Asami.

Flying through the air, Asami sprayed a volley of weapons at their pursuers, casting spark balls, energy blasts and smoke bombs that shrouded their way. She turned around and saw that Iroh, Asami and Korra had suddenly gone when she was suddenly yanked into the sewers. She shone torch around in a panic and Iroh pressed a finger to her lip, pointing up at the Mark of the Moon members above who walked over the half-closed manhole lid above.

"Follow me." Iroh said quietly to Mako and Korra, summoning a small ball of fire as he led them through the sewers.

* * *

PUSHING A manhole lid off, Mako took a peak at the street above, nodding to the others below and stepping out into an empty filling station whilst carrying Bolin's incapacitated body. Korra, Asami and Iroh stepped out after, looking around at the vehicles strewn about, alert for any mechs or rogue benders nearby.

"That was some quick thinking, General Iroh," Mako said, not getting an answer from the man. "General?" He turned and saw Iroh stuck in place. "General!"

"No, no, no, no!" Asami ran up to Iroh.

"Go without me," Iroh said, veins running up his body and stiffening him as he tried to move.

"No, we're not leaving anyone behind!" Mako frowned.

"Iroh, hang on, we'll find a way outta this!" Asami held Iroh's face, watching him as the veins spread and his eyes went white. "Iroh!" She cried.

"Fuck!" Korra walked off, trying to think.

"Korra, be quiet; we don't wanna get caught." Mako said.

"Well, what's the point? How're we gonna stop any of this?" Korra yelled. "He's won, alright? He's won!"

"We don't give up, Korra," Mako said, "If we do, then all hope is lost."

"Well, what're we gonna do now? Keep running?"

"We survive." Mako said and went up to Iroh, seeing Asami tear up as she tried to move him helplessly. Picking him up, he moved on. "Let's keep going."

Korra watched Mako carry the two men on and sifted her mind, letting Asami walk passed as she tried to think of what to do next. Hearing a mech patrolling in a nearby street, she ran after them, following them into an alley as they avoided the members of the Mark of the Moon.

* * *

KORRA SHUT the heavy door and barred it with a bar of rock, locking herself, Mako and Asami in the basement of a small house. Mako stepped back as he placed Iroh and Bolin's bodies on the floor, looking at his brother's pale and cold face and wondering if he was alive or not. Walking away from them, he turned the light on and returned to the two women who sat on crates nearby.

"Where's a good bourbon when you need one." Korra huffed.

"How did someone so powerful go by unnoticed? How are his men everywhere?" Asami asked.

"Magic," Mako began to pace. "That's all we can figure out at this point."

"So, he's got men in the police force, the armies of other nations -,"

"And the United Forces," Asami cut Korra off, looking at Iroh. "How many time do we have left before the spell kills them?"

Mako looked at his watch and huffed. "Ninety minutes."

"Oh my God," Asami huffed.

"Ah, fucking hell!" Korra shot up. "Why does everyone want me all the time?"

"Because you're the Avatar; it's their main power play." Mako said.

"Isn't there some way we can trick him? Like, I pretend to give in and we attack him?" Korra said.

"They've got hundreds of men and who knows how many mechs; we'd get slaughtered out there."

"Then what if I give in, huh? What if he does mean what he says and he'll let them go if I surrender?" Korra said.

"We're not doing that." Mako said.

"Why not?"

"Because I don't wanna lose you!" Mako yelled. "I've probably already lost my brother and I'm not gonna lose anyone else!"

Korra paused as she heard this, watching him continue to pace on. "… But, how do we -,"

"No, no, no, stop, stop!" Asami cried, falling to the floor and crawling back.

"What's wrong?" Mako went up to her.

"It's happening!" Asami yelled, beginning to tear up. "Help me!"

"What do you mean?" Korra asked, seeing the Asami's veins run up her neck. "No, no, hang on, Asami!"

"Korra, Mako, please, I don't wanna die like this!" Asami wept.

"We'll figure this out, just hold on."

"Korra, please hel -," Asami grabbed Korra's arm, falling limp on the ground.

Korra trembled and fell back, her eyes brimming with tears as she shakily clasped her head and began to weep. Mako stood over Asami, almost numb as his mind flooded with what was happening and a feeling of rage sweeping over him. He turned to Korra who cried on the floor and moved up to her, sitting quietly beside her as she cried.

"I'm so weak." Korra said through the wave of tears. "No matter how much I try, they just keep coming. I can't do this." Mako remained silent. "I defeated Amon, but the Equalists still remained; I beat Unalok, but I lost the Avatar line; I beat Zaheer, but I ended up crippled; I beat Kuvira, but the boundaries of the Spirit World got severed. What kind of Avatar am I?"

"An Avatar who beat everyone who stood in her way." Mako said. "You can't deny that."

"But what else am I gonna lose?" Korra wiped her face, sighing. "When I went to the Spirit World, I thought I could finally escape everything, but even it was deteriorating. When Asami wanted to go back, I didn't. I didn't want to come back and fail again." She paused, hesitating. "I wanted to be with you, but … I was afraid I'd end up losing you the next time something happened." She chuckled slightly, defeated. "And I guess I was right, huh?" She sat back.

Mako still remained quiet. "The way I see it, you still won. Sure, things got complicated in the end, but that's how things are; the job is never really done." He placed his hand on hers. "But I'll be by your side no matter what happens. No matter what, we're gonna win in the end."

Korra smiled at him and held his hand, looking on into the dark room. "So, what do we do now?"

"We kill that son of a bitch." Mako stood up.

"But how do we do that? We don't know where he is?" Korra got up as well.

"The Anarchist contacted us using the city's emergency broadcast."

"Yeah, that was right before he started this spell."

"Exactly, and only the police has access to the entire city's broadcasting grid." Mako said. "And that means -,"

"He's at the police headquarters!"

* * *

BULLET'S ECHOED through the streets as mechs shot down civilians who fled for their lives and waterbenders cut them off. A man evaded a mech and was cornered another machine when fire came raining down from above, burning the members of the Mark of the Moon on the spot. Soaring through the skies, Korra shot down the attackers and sped over the streets, flying toward the police headquarters.

Inside the building, the Anarchist stood in a control room piled with corpses and chairs that were strewn about. On the floor before him was a white circle with several symbols and hexes on it with a crescent moon at its center. Slicing his palm with a knife, he moved to drop blood onto the circle when the wall in front of him exploded and Korra burst through!

"Avatar Korra!?" The Anarchist backed away.

"Found you."


	10. Sethos

**"** ** **SETHOS"****

KORRA ROSE out of the rubble and stared down the Anarchist who backed away from her, frightened as the woman stalked towards her. Looking at the destroyed magic circle before him, the man began to panic and tried to think of what to do next, succumbing and flinging a water whip at him. Korra ducked under the attack and uppercut the Anarchist, driving through a nearby wall and knocking him into another room.

The man scrambled to his feet and was met with a massive blow to the chin as Korra erected a slab of concrete that slammed him against a wall. The woman rushed up to him and grabbed him by the face, smashing him out of the building and flying through the sky. The woman flung him forward midair and juggled him with two wild punches, tackling him and throwing him into the forest outside the city, knocking him through a tree.

"I'm gonna make you pay for what you did to my friends."

* * *

MAKO FLIPPED back as a mech shot electric whips at him and he blasted it with a fireball, knocking himself back onto the windshield of a car. Pushing himself up, he went to continue fighting the robot when he felt a tremor in the ground, quickly turning round. A wave of magic symbols ran over the ground and over the people manacled by bloodbending and the veins tore apart, freeing them.

The man grinned as people began to move again and he looked to the destroyed police building. "She did it!"

* * *

THE ANARCHIST flipped back, nearly losing his footing as he avoided a line of fire as Korra unleashed a barrage of attacks at him. The woman sent a line of rocks at the Anarchist with a punch, barely hitting him as he jumped away and ended up striking a tree. She dashed at him and threw a kick at him, missing as he ducked and slashed her with an ice covered fist.

The woman head-butted him, driving him hard into the ground, and flew after him, coming down with a punch that he barely dodged, sending up rocks and grass in the impact. The Anarchist kicked Korra in the face and picked her up as she fell back, jabbing her in the gut and kicking her against a tree. She slid down, groaning in pain and he wrapped her in water, freezing and shrinking it, crushing her against the wood.

Korra struggled against the pressure and felt the tree bark break behind her, quickly blowing fire onto the ice and escaping. Escaping her bind, she spat fire at the Anarchist who ducked, barely avoiding the flames that burned down trees above him. Waving his arms, the man summoned icicles and chucked them at her at rapid speeds.

She reacted quickly and kicked the spikes away, planting her feet in the earth and clenching her fists before her, trapping the man in rock that grew around his feet. She charged at him with a ball of fire at her fist, swinging at his face when he deftly bent backwards and broke out of the ground, doing a handstand and kicking her away. Flipping to his feet, the man chucked an icicle through her leg and arm, pinning her against a tree.

She screamed as she bled out and the Anarchist fired a wave of water at her. "Enough!" She cried, vaporizing the water instantly as she went into the Avatar State and rose into the air.

The Avatar wove her hands around, channeling a wind storm that filled the forest and slammed the Anarchist against a tree. She breathed in and spat a massive tube of fire at him, consuming the trees and causing an explosion that frightened nearby animals. Panting, she descended to the ground and parted the flames beneath her feet, looking around to see if she'd finished him off.

"He's not here," Raava said in Korra's mind.

* * *

WIND RUSHED through the forest and gathered together as magical symbols made of light began to appear near the ground. Shifting into a circle, the air and energy turned into a gateway from which the Anarchist fell out of; the man tossing his mask aside and seeing where he was. He saw the waterfall and gorge to his left, steeling himself and pulling out a large golden disc covered in runes, magical symbols and hieroglyphs.

The man, having short raven-hair, piercing gray eyes and a beard, made his way through the forest, battling his wounds and focusing on the gorge. He felt his nerves get the best of him, everything in him screaming to flee, but he pushed through regardless. He had to do this, for his father Amon and for anyone who wanted to live in peace, even if it included the Avatar herself.

Grabbing a hold of the last rock, the man pulled himself to the top of the gorge, looking around and seeing all he needed to prove that what he was looking for was there. "Sethos …"

The forest around him was littered with patches of burnt grass and trees, some of them smoldering and others with small fires still flickering. He went on and looked to the ground, seeing large footsteps with long toes that burned through the very ground itself. He felt in the incredible heat as he went onward, seeing light reflecting off of leaves up ahead. The man stopped and looked at the disc, taking a deep breath before walking around a large tree.

Standing in an open portion of the forest was a ten foot tall being with a red skin, muscular body with black marks over its torso, two large horns and black tattered trousers covered in chains. The monster turned to the Anarchist, his yellow glowing eyes and sharp white teeth sending shivers down his spine. Fighting his fear, the Anarchist approached the demon, Sethos.

"Another human," the demon said, "Your species' curiosity always leads to your demise."

"I'm not here to mince words, abomination!" The Anarchist said, "I will destroy you before you can hurt anyone else!" He yelled, holding up the golden disc.

"What is this?" Sethos squinted.

"I, Chao Zhu Zixin, leader of the Mark of the Moon, shall cast out the great scourge of mankind and bring peace to our land!" The Anarchist declared.

"You think a mere trinket can defeat me?" Sethos said. "I am the red of the moon, the fire of the end of days; what can a mere human do to me?"

"You shouldn't underestimate us!" Chao let go of the disc, letting it float in mid-air.

"What?"

The Anarchist threw up hand signs and wove his arms before him, conjuring a light magic circle before him, summoning another such circle that appeared beneath the demon's feet and bound him where he stood. Chao slammed his hands together and the disc split into six triangles, releasing a massive light mandala that spread out before him. Sethos frowned and tried to step forward, only to be held down by magical whips that erupted from the seal he stood on.

"Your evil ends here, demon!" Chao flung his arms forward, causing the six triangles to shoot toward Sethos!

* * *

A BRIGHT LIGHT flashed and Korra turned to her right, seeing a massive tube of fire rising though the air, causing nearby birds to flee. Frowning, she flew towards the flames and quickly crashed to the ground, failing to get closer as the heat melted the very ground itself! She shielded her eyes and looked at the blazing inferno, seeing a silhouette of a man standing inside it.

"What? How can a person survive inside that?" Korra's eyes dilated in shock.

"No, this is very bad!" Raava said.

The spinning fires suddenly dissipated, leaving a thick cloud of smoke that consumed the forest and blinded Korra. Her eyes glowed and she looked through the haze, seeing Chao walking toward her limply with his shirt completely burned off! The Anarchist stepped forward, confused and not realizing that the left side of his body had become lava!

"He's merged with the demon!" Raava cried.

* * *

MOVING THE rock aside, Bolin stepped out of the basement with Asami; the two completely dazed and failing to remember what'd happened. Stepping out of the house, they entered the city streets and found many like them walking around, lost yet relieved. They looked up and saw United Forces aircraft zoom through the sky, firing upon the Mark of the Moon airships that fired back.

"What happened?" Asami raised her brow, getting a shrug from Bolin.

A mechatank burst through a building nearby, raising its arm to fire on the unsuspecting civilians when a beam of purple energy blasted through it! The machine stumbled and fell over, drawing everyone's attention to a Spirit Suit that flew toward them. The armored suit landed before Asami and Bolin who looked it at in surprise when its visor flew open and revealed Mako inside!

"Mako?" Asami squinted.

"Mako!" Bolin grinned. "Where'd you get the cool suit? What is that anyway?"

"Asami, Bolin! You're alive!" Mako hugged them tightly.

"What's going on?" Asami asked, nearly choking as he clung to them.

"Future Industries just rolled out a few of their suits that were operational and the United Forces has finally managed to rally up to fight the Mark of the Moon!"

"What does that mean?"

"We can finally end this!" Mako grinned. "We can finally defeat the Mark of the Moon!"

* * *

KORRA ROSE to her feet slowly, her eyes glued to the man before her who looked around in shock and realized what had happened to him. A sudden cold enveloped Korra and she felt greatly unnerved, the sounds of whispers flooding her ears and the air beginning to thin. A powerful evil presence began to rise and Korra tensed up, seeing the Anarchist start to twitch and mutter to himself.

"No, no," Chao stepped back, veins on his body starting to bulge, "No, this can't be happening!" His voice started to deepen, sounding inhuman as black marks started to appear on his left torso.

"We need to stop him." Raava said.

"Okay, I'll just kick his ass," Korra stepped forward.

"No, Korra!" Raava halted her, "We need to be rid of the demon or he'll wreak havoc."

"And how do we do that? Cuz I'm not exactly spiritually gifted," Korra shrugged.

"I don't know."

"You don't know?" Korra raised her brow.

"I have never faced a spirit this powerful before," Raava said. "The only thing we can do is try to take this battle to the Spirit World - whether we win or lose, we cannot let this demon run amok in the physical world."

"Well, I'd prefer if I didn't lose." Korra frowned.

"You did this!?" Chao yelled, his body blazing with fire.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa there, I didn't do anything - you're the one who attacked the city." Korra retorted.

"If you hadn't gotten in the way, I would have accomplished my goal!" Chao growled.

"And let you kill thousands of people?"

"I would have done what was necessary to carry out the spell." Chao shouted. "If I'd completed the ritual and sacrificed their souls, I would have had the power to kill Sethos once and for all! I would have stopped him from destroying the world!"

"Yeah, I'm not buying your bullshit!"

"You're all the same," Chao said, his voice quieting, "All you Avatars, high and mighty and removed from the rest of us, never willing to do what's necessary to defeat evil. When you're most needed, you always gone! Roku, Aang and now you! You offer temporary solutions, leave more chaos and never take out the true enemy of peace!"

"Oh, yeah? Well, we always win in the end; no matter who comes our way, we take them down!" Korra went into the Avatar State and flew toward him.

"Not this time," Chao stood still and grabbed Korra by the face, slamming her into the ground. He clasped her throat and pinned her down. "I'll sever your degenerate cycle and bring an end to all of you." He shoved her into the earth, breaking it apart. "Once you are gone, there will be true peace!"

"Yeah, fuck that." Korra clapped her hands and knocked Chao off her with a gust of air, flying up and chasing after him.

Chao caught himself in mid-air and flipped back as Korra came rushing with a wind-charged uppercut. Channeling fire through his left side, Chao sprung his arm at Korra, stretching it over meters and burning the very clouds around it. Korra jerked back barely dodging the heat and Chao came right at her, freezing his right arm into a spike and piercing her side.

Korra screamed in pain and Chao dove down, driving her toward the ground when Korra grabbed his right arm and stopped their descent with air. Korra's eyes flashed and winds swirled around them, forming a tornado around them and creating sparks of lightning all around them. Ripping the spike off her body, Korra punched Chao in the face, knocking him into the razor wind that sliced the right side of his face.

The Anarchist was carried by the wind and spun back to Korra who kicked him in the face, smashing him back into the ground that broke apart. Korra clasped her side and closed her wound with water, raising her free arm and summoning metal from the ground below that swarmed around her. Korra wove her arms around and wrapped the metal into an armor, leaving a space for her face.

"Let's end this." Korra shut the metal over her mouth and flew down.

Chao flung his arms upward, sending massive waves of water and lava at the Avatar s she came down. Korra maneuvered deftly through the air, hardening the lava into earth with an air kick and chucking it at Chao. The Anarchist burst through the rock like nothing and threw up rapid hand signs, conjuring magic circles around Korra.

"What the?"

The light discs spun and fired a volley of fireballs and icicles at her, forcing Korra to ball up and shield herself. Chao zoomed in as she was overwhelmed, hardening his right arm and punching her in her gut, drawing blood from her mouth. He enlarged his left arm and grabbed Korra's head, snatching her helmet off and head-butted her, flinging her onto the ground.

Korra went out cold as she plummeted to the earth when wind quickly collected beneath her and dragged her through the air. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked around, seeing Chao chasing after her. "You can't lose that easily." Raava said.

Korra frowned and reformed her helmet, crossing her arms and creating pillars of earth and smashed against Chao's sides, holding him down. Korra flip-kicked in the air and send a gust of wind that smacked against his head and shattered the earth beneath. The Anarchist's head wobbled, his neck completely broken, but his head shut up suddenly, a dead inhuman grin on his face as he fired his left arm at her.

The Avatar erected earth before her to block the attack, but the Anarchist burned through, forcing her to fly off. The arm however bent through the air, chasing her as she zigzagged through the air and rushing through as she swung at it with wind and water. Korra squinted, wondering how to avoid it when Chao's right arm flung through a portal to her right and punched her out of the sky.

Korra plummeted to the ground and the Anarchist apparated above her, landing on her with a heavy boot that smashed the earth beneath her and shattered her armor to bits! Korra cried in anguish as she felt her bones broke and the Anarchist stood on her, watching coldly. His eyes glinted and a massive red magic circle appeared above her, its symbols oscillating rapidly.

A vacuum pulled against the Avatar, carrying rocks up toward it with a violent force that seemed to tear the forest toward it. Korra lay helplessly as the wind tugged on and she gasped as she saw particles of white energy rise out of her body. Raava was being sucked away!

"Finally, the world will know peace." The Anarchist said.

"No, Raava!" Korra cried, but failed to move as magical whips appeared and manacled her limbs.

"Goodbye, Avatar." The Anarchist pressed his foot down harder.

With a sudden snap, the Anarchist summoned a sharp dagger made of lava out of the ground, piercing through Korra's back and out of her stomach! Korra screamed in agony, but failed to move as Chao summoned magical braces over her limbs, binding her and stepping off her body. He stepped away and watched the magic circle pull her up to the sky, the Avatar immobilized as her blood trickled back to the earth.

The Anarchist watched as the Avatar Spirit was sucked out of Korra, enjoying his victory when he felt a sharp pang through his body! He staggered back and held his side, causing the magic circle to dissipate and letting Korra fall to the ground. The woman hissed and pushed herself up, seeing the man lurch as lava began to glow beneath his skin!

The Anarchist panicked and looked as lava shone brightly inside him, the bright light cracking his body and threatening to burst! Korra tried to back away, but fell back as Chao's body began to bulge and contort as fire spurted out of him. With a final cry, the Anarchist exploded into fury of flames, washing over Korra and burning the entire forest around her.

Korra shielded her face as the furnace went around her, realizing the fires were going away from her instead! She raised her brow and turned back to see Zaheer standing behind her, channeling the air around them and directing the flames away! The explosion died down and Zaheer dismissed the winds around them, revealing a deep cloud of smoke all around them.

Waving his arms, the Airbender sent a powerful wind through the forest, blowing away the smoke and unveiling the ashen wood beneath. A few feet away from them was Chao's remains, a shallow husk of burned skeleton that immediately crumbled as a small gust wafted against it. Korra squinted and Zaheer stepped away from her, looking at the damage that had been done.

"Why'd you save me?" Korra asked.

"Because we still need you - you and I may not see eye to eye, but we both want what's best for the world," Zaheer said, "Peace."

"What happened to him?"

"He was corrupted; Sethos' power was too much for his mortal body to bare and it completely destroyed him," Zaheer said. "The worst of it is that it wasn't even half of what he could do and he is still out there somewhere."

"And do you know what or who Sethos is?" Korra asked.

"Sethos is an ancient spirit, one half of a demonic Ying and Yang with a female spirit named Lamia," Zaheer explained. "A prophesy foretells of a union between the two that would destroy the world and turn it into a having for their twisted romance. A union of ice and fire."

"So, this Lamia is an ice demon just as powerful as Sethos," Korra frowned, "And I lost to less than half of the demon's power."

"Sethos and Lamia are an ancient evil that have never been defeated since they crossed over into the Physical Realm - only having been sealed away by an sect called the Order of the Nine Stars that siphoned their power for their own ends." Zaheer said. "Or so I've read in the scrolls of the Mark of the Moon who aimed to simply kill of Sethos and save the world from its inevitable fate."

"So, Chao was right," Korra glanced about, "I've doomed us all."

"The Mark of the Moon were a crazed group who believed themselves to be saviors," Zaheer turned to her, "Them putting an end to Sethos would only empower them more in order to rain tyranny on humanity. You put an end to their plans."

Korra smiled slightly and looked around. "So, what now?"

"We leave," Zaheer walked past her, "I saw those zealots' ships approaching this area. Moreover, your wound will need special treatment." He went up to her and picked her up, "Let's go."

Korra looked around and nodded hesitantly, letting the man fly off with her. Looking over Zaheer's shoulder, she saw two airships descending into the forest.

* * *

KORRA BREATHED deeply and felt the air around her, floating over the floor of her room in the lotus position as she channeled her chi. She went over all Zaheer had said, questioning herself with what Chao had felt about her and the Avatar line. His insanity got the better of him, but her actions regardless had left the world out of balance. She needed to improve, she needed to do better.

"Korra, you in there?" Mako's voice came from the hallway.

Korra opened her eyes as she heard this and descended to the floor, hesitating to head into the foyer. She touched her stomach, feeling the bandage over the wound on her stomach and looked to the door again. Shaking it off, she went and opened the door.

"Hey, Korra, I -," Korra cut Mako off and pressed her lips against his, kissing him passionately.

She stepped back, "Mako, I'm so glad to see you!" She grinned.

"Um … yeah." Mako said, chuckling slightly.

"Well, seems you too are back together." Bolin folded his arms.

Korra turned and saw Asami and Iroh were there. "Asami, Iroh, Bolin! You're alright!" She grabbed the three of them in a bear hug, lifting them into the air.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, easy now!" Iroh said, getting let down immediately after. "Strong woman."

"What happened?" Korra asked.

"Well, we defeated the bad guys," Bolin said.

"And finally got the city back on its feet." Asami chimed in.

"But we wanted to find out where you've been." Mako said. "You've been gone for two days since you went and fought the Anarchist."

"Did you get him?" Asami asked.

"I …" Korra squinted, remembering what happened. "Yeah, I did."

"Well, that's great!" Bolin grinned.

"Then let's celebrate." Mako said.

"The United Forces wanted to hold an event in your honor, Avatar!" Iroh smiled, "You saved the entire army single-handed!"

"Yeah, I'm sorry, but I'm not up for public appearances just yet." Korra said.

"Okay, then what'd you prefer?" Iroh asked.

"I …" Korra's stomach growled. "I gotta get something to eat, shit!" She walked on.

"You can count me in on that!" Bolin followed after.

"Yeah, we're not hungry." Asami said.

"What do you mean 'we'?" Korra turned to Asami, seeing Iroh beside her. "Oh, interesting. When'd this happen?"

"Ah, well -," Iroh tried to speak.

"None of that's important right now," Mako cut in. "We've got problems." He walked up to Korra. "We took down the Mark of the Moon, but most of them fled and the ones we kept suddenly died. And the day after, President Raiko pulled out of the peace treaty."

"What? Why?" Korra stopped walking.

"He claimed that a union after the infiltrations in the military of the four nations by the Mark of the Moon had occurred would be too risky for Republic City." Mako said. "It's caused tensions between the nations."

"So, our work's not over, huh." Korra said.

"Not by a long shot." Mako frowned.

A silence filled the air and Bolin glanced around, cutting through it. "Now, now, this is not the time to be worrying! This is a time to relax! Eat, drink, be merry and get sick after eating too much, c'mon!"

"Yeah, you're right, my bad." Mako huffed. "There's just been a lot on my mind lately."

"Well, we'll leave that for another day." Korra said, holding Mako's hand. "Come on, let's relax while we can."

Mako smiled at Korra and headed out of the apartment building with her and the others.

* * *

FOOTSTEPS ECHOED through the metallic hallways as a dark-skinned man in a coat strode on, his blood red eyes glinting through the shadow of his hood and illuminating the gray, white and black markings on his face. Opening a door on his left, he entered a large conference room in which The Joker and Vandal Savage sat.

"You better have something good for us, Zuzu, or I'll be very angry." The Clown Prince said as he cleaned his nails with a large knife, gaining a growl from the hooded man.

Vandal Savage sighed. "Forgive him, Zhu Rong." He turned to him. "What news do you have for us?"

"Our mission is accomplished; the Mark of the Moon has the Four Nations under its control." Zhu Rong said.

"Excellent." Vandal Savage smiled.

* * *

 ** **Thank you for reading! It's been a while since we started, but it's finally done!****

 ** **For those who don't know, the RealDone Universe is an actual universe of fanfictions! Every story we write is connected under one umbrella storyline that spans across every book - think of it like a small Marvel Cinematic Universe! If you're interested in reading anything else we have, check out our bio!****


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